Halos & Hellfire
by l0v3m3n0t
Summary: Soulmate (n.): A person ideally suited to another as a close friend or romantic partner. "A bond between souls is ancient, older than the planet." -Dianna Hardy / (Dedicated to LoverOfArchangels)
1. Things My Father Said

As of late, Gabriel's been staying in sunny California. He was in a beaches, blondes and babes in bikinis mood. Right now, he was talking a stroll down the nighttime streets and munching on a Twix bar. He was staying in an area that was close to one of California's Universities, so there were college-aged students littering the streets. Some were on a late-night jog, others were just leaving the library and some were on their way to a party.

As a small group of young adults passed him, chattering about the paper they were working on and the books they rented from the library, some of the females met Gabriel's eyes with interest and he smirked back. He smiled when he heard them giggling. That was one thing Gabriel liked about being on Earth, about the Humans. He blended in _perfectly_.

There weren't Angels bowing to him every few seconds, he could walk by a crowd and they wouldn't stop talking to stand at attention, people didn't look at him like he was one of the most terrifying weapons in all of Heaven, nobody cowered before him. On Earth, Gabriel simply breezed by. He was a nobody, just a devilishly handsome face in the crowd, and he liked it that way. He enjoyed having a low-profile. Well, as low as it could get with him posing as a Trickster.

That was another reason why Gabriel was in California. Before he moved, his tricks had caught the attention of a few Hunters that noticed the bizarre things going on, of the _X-Files_ way people were disappearing, only to be found with some wacky story that belonged on an 'I was Touched by an Extraterrestrial' forum board. Humans were easy to deal with and it was even easier to lie to them, but Hunters tended to linger when something wasn't right.

His shenanigans also attracted some unwanted attention from the evils lurking within this world. Demons, Witches, all kinds of parasites that wanted to leech off of whatever was powerful enough to create such chaos.

Gabriel was accustomed to moving around though. It came with his occupation. Raise a little hell, then get out of dodge. He liked seeing what each State had to offer too, what they were famous for and how they differed from the rest. Everywhere was a new adventure for Gabriel. He did get the occasional impulse to settle down in a place that he liked and he would. For a few months, a year was the longest he stayed in one spot, he'd hunker down in a nice neighborhood, get a job and maybe even make some Human friends.

But, of course, his mischievousness would get rowdy and he'd start stirring up enough trouble that even the goddamn Army was interested in figuring out what the hell was going on.

Gabriel bit the last section of his candy bar and crumbled the wrapper in his hand. He held on to it until he came across a trash can to throw it in. Gabriel was a bit of a housekeeper too. He never littered and he recycled too. Whenever he saw cans or bottles or other debris littering his path, he'd put the garbage where it belonged. He found a sense of responsibility by taking care of the Earth like that, keeping his Father's favorite creation clean and tidy.

Gabriel continued his walk back to his hotel. His gaze was pulled upwards and he slowed his walk until he stopped to stare up at the nighttime sky. That was another thing Gabriel truly loved about Earth. The planet got day and night, the sun and moon, there were an endless amount of stars to gaze at night after night. In Heaven, time seemed to be stuck in a cycle of celestial dawn to morning. The sight was picturesque and there were no words to describe its divine beauty, but it was nothing like Earth's daybreak or sunset, it's moon-rise and moon-set.

A particular star twinkled brighter than the others and it caught Gabriel's attention, making him smile. This one seemed to have a lavender hue to it rather than the whitish shimmer the other stars had.

And this star was getting bigger.

No…it was getting _closer_.

Gabriel's jaw went slack as he watched the colored ball of gas continue to graze Earth's skies, leaving a colored streak in its path. That wasn't a star at all, it looked like a comet and it was going to crash-land soon. He followed the comet as far as he could on foot, but it was concealed from his sight by tall buildings and lofty trees.

 **"** **Well, that's not normal."** Gabriel mumbled to himself.

Since when did comets crash into the Earth? They weren't meteors. And this one was _huge_ , bigger than any asteroid should be. He briefly wondered if an Angel had been found guilty of transgressing and was sentenced to fall.

In the time it took to form a thought, Gabriel was closer to where he predicted the anomaly to fall. He took a look at his surroundings to see where he was. Due to the vast amount of ginormous trees, he knew he was in Tulare County, home to the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park.

Gabriel could feel something lingering in this forest and he cautiously, Angel blade ready to be drawn, moved closer to the source. He let the beckoning feeling be his guide, changing course when it seemed to dull and picking up the pace when it got stronger. After a few minutes of walking and the alluring feeling getting stronger until a tree was separating him from the source, he stopped.

 **"** **General Sherman."** He saluted the world's largest tree.

With a snap of his fingers, Gabriel instantly transformed into Dr. Sexy from _Dr. Sexy, M.D._ to keep his true identity concealed. Humans always trust doctors and an Angel would trust a medic. The last thing he needed was an Angel, fallen or not, knowing that he wasn't dead because he didn't want or need any of the attention from the rest of the family. He left Heaven and put himself in Archangel Witness Protection for a reason.

 **"** **Is there anyone here? I'm a doctor, I can help you!"** He called as he moved around the tree, searching. That alluring feeling had simmered away, leaving him a bit confused and partially lost.

Nothing answered Gabriel's offer of aid, nor did he feel another presence or hear anything that sounded like it was wounded. The luring sensation hadn't resurrected itself either. He used his divine ability to quickly scan the entire Park, but other than a few stray Rangers in the park's station and the wildlife, he was alone.

 **"** **Guess not. Oh, well. Can't say I didn't try."** Gabriel shrugged it off.

With another snap, Gabriel was back in the form of his true Vessel and he was about to make his way back to his luxurious hotel room for a night of fun with a popular _Casa Erotica_ actress, Kandice Kink, straight from the dirty flicks. He was going to star in his own movie tonight.

As Gabriel was making his way to leave, he heard something. He stopped to listen, focusing. He muted the sounds of the nocturnal birds' chatter, of the smaller mammals scampering about on the forest grounds, the rustling of leaves as a calm wind blew.

The noise sounded again and it was clearer to Gabriel now. It was the sound of an infant Human gurgling and babbling in its nescient language.

Wait a minute, a _baby_? Why was _a baby_ in a _forest_?

Gabriel turned to General Sherman again and inched towards the tree. With one hand on the trunk, he began walking around it to ensure that he didn't just hear a goddamn baby and that it was probably a newborn _animal_ , not a Human.

Gabriel got to another side of the massive Sequoia tree where there was a cranny in the trunk, deep and tall enough for a child to stand inside. He wouldn't be able to get half of himself in there. Against all the horror movies he's watched within his time on Earth, he knew he had to poke his head inside the opening.

He got into a crouching position and _slowly_ edged into the darkness of the crevice. At first, he didn't see or hear anything, but he was still worried about a tiny animal pouncing on and clawing at his face. The second he felt something touch his chin, he jerked out of the aperture and fell on his ass, Angel blade drawn and pointing to the opening. He was waiting for whatever was hiding in there to come out so he could smite it.

It took a moment, but Gabriel began to hear the burbling again and he saw a silhouette moving inside the cleft of the tree. He gradually lowered his Angel blade until it dropped in his lap as he watched what crawled out of the tree.

It was indeed a baby, a Human infant, that couldn't have been more than a year old.

The first thing Gabriel noticed about the child was its eyes, bright azure eyes that were absolutely darling. The next thing were the wisps of honey-blond hair that, due to its shade, would most likely transition to dirty-blond as the child got older. Its soft locks were being held back and hiding under a white headband.

It was a baby girl.

The child was slowly, but surely making her way out of the tree's trunk, chubby cheeks and a toothless smile trying to get closer to the still dumbfounded Archangel sitting on the forest floor.

Gabriel sat there in disbelief, unable to move. There was no way in Heaven or Hell that a Human could be born from a _tree_. He shook his head to get his ass in gear and stood, sheathing his Angel blade. He went to the baby and she was already reaching out for him before he could offer his arms to her.

Gingerly, he picked the child up and noticed that something was wrapped around her. He thought it was a dress, but it was a blanket, the softest blanket he's ever felt. The material wasn't satin, but it wasn't fleece either. It felt like a perfect blend of both. The blanket was midnight-blue and covered in stars, comets, zodiac signs and constellations. The child was garbed in a white chiffon dress, similar to one a Greek woman would wear, with a lace overlay, cap sleeves and it was so long that Gabriel didn't know if she was wearing shoes or not.

 **"** **Where did you come from, little one? Did some jack-in-the-box leave you out here?"** Gabriel asked as he secured the girl on his arm, his other hand resting on her back.

Of course, he didn't expect to get an answer from the child and he was really talking to himself, but the baby seemed to be comfortable in his presence. One of her tiny hands was clutching the neckline of his shirt and the other one was pressed onto the skin of his neck. Her interest was switching between his face, then to something over his shoulder, but she kept her eyes on him this time.

Gabriel couldn't help but smile at the girl. Her eyes were big and bright and she looked so innocent, like a little Angel. Well, not any of the Angels he knew of, but a Human's notion of what Angels were supposed to look like.

 **"** **You're pretty cute."** Gabriel cooed to the baby, unable to resist the temptation to stroke her cheek. And she smiled at him, all gums and drool. That just made him chuckle as he began to pace, lightly bouncing her on his arm. **"And you're tiny…and soft…and all alone…and if I leave you here, I doubt anyone's gonna find you…or something bigger is gonna stroll by and probably eat you for dinner…or you're gonna die of starvation or dehydration or some sickness…or maybe you'll be raised by animals."**

Gabriel stopped pacing. His smile had died when he began listing off all of the horrible things that would happen to this defenseless baby if he just stuffed her back in that tree. He still didn't understand why the hell she was in there or if she had something to do with that strange comet he saw earlier. Maybe it was a satellite that fell and he miscalculated where it would land.

Gabriel looked down at the little girl on his arm and she was looking over his shoulder again, but she looked up at him with those twinkling eyes.

 **"** **Damn you, guilt."** He sighed, giving in.

Gabriel made the blanket around the baby into a sash going around his left shoulder and diagonally across his chest. He safely tucked her inside. He curled his left arm under the sling to support the child and he used his right hand to snap, teleporting them out of the labyrinth of the Park. He thought about going to the Ranger's station and dropping the baby off with them, but he decided to take care of the situation himself.

When Gabriel began walking, he heard the child's innocent giggles. He glanced down and saw her pudgy arms reaching up to him. She was smiling again too, wide and gleeful. He noticed the pair of miniature squares rooting out of her bottom gums, little teeth, and wondered how he missed them before. Nevertheless, the child made him smile.

 **"** **Don't get attached, cutie pie. I know I'm the handsomest guy you've ever seen, but don't get used to seeing this gorgeous face. I'm gonna find a nice Human family to take you in. I'm gonna leave you in a basket on someone's doorstep like a box puppy."** He told her, trying to seem firm and unfeeling. When he looked down again, the baby was already staring up at him and she smiled when she noticed his whiskey eyes. He chuckled. **"** **You're not supposed to smile at that, you little creep."**

 **"** **Gabriel…is that you?"**

The brunet froze, stiffer than a statue, when he heard the voice from behind him. The first thing he did, for some strange reason, was cover the baby with the blanket to prevent another from seeing her.

Someone knew he was alive and he didn't want to smite any of his family, but his options were limited if he wanted to keep a low-profile. He recognized that voice though, who it belonged to…but it couldn't be because was dead too. He was _supposed_ _to be_ dead.

 **"** **Balthazar?"** Gabriel asked, turning to face the voice with furrowed brows. And as luck would have it, there Balthazar stood in his stylish club-wear. The only thing the dirty-blond Angel was missing was a glass of Scotch in one hand and a woman in the other. **"I thought you were dead."**

 **"** **Likewise."** Balthazar replied, seeming to be just as stunned to see Gabriel as the Archangel was to see the blue-eyed Angel.

Silence settled between the divine beings, both simply staring at one another. Gabriel couldn't remember how long it's been since he last saw Balthazar, but he was honestly happy to see that he was unarmed. He and Balthazar had history together, a past that not many knew of or even remembered. Gabriel wondered why the Angel was on Earth too, but he couldn't bring himself to ask a single question at the moment.

Gabriel was pulled out of his trance when the baby squirmed about in the sling he made. He refused to look down at her because he didn't want Balthazar to know he had her. Why he didn't want him to know was something Gabriel didn't understand, but he wasn't going to question it now. He knew the baby was fine. She was either getting comfortable or she wanted his attention again, but nothing was wrong with her.

 **"** **I'm sure there's a bad joke about a pair of dead men meeting each other."** Gabriel broke the silence with a light smirk; Balthazar smiled back. **"What are you doing down here?"**

 **"** **Other than playing dead? I could ask you the same."**

 **"** **Yeah, well, I'm the oldest and you have to do what I say, so explain yourself, buster."** Gabriel sassed, earning an eye roll from the blond.

 **"** **I just so happened to be in the neighborhood when I spotted something bright, sparkling and possibly valuable falling from the sky. My initial thought was that one of our siblings had transgressed, but I didn't feel an incredible amount of despondency, agony or repentance. I was hoping to find something worth marketing."** Balthazar nonchalantly elucidated his presence, knowing all too well how saucy the Archangel could be. Gabriel noticed that he didn't explain why he decided to fake his death, why he wasn't in Heaven, but he decided not to comment.

 **"** **And what of you? What brings you to this neck of the woods?"** Balthazar asked. He looked around at their surroundings and motioned to all the trees with a wave of his hand, charmingly smirking. **"Literally."**

Gabriel casually shrugged. **"** **I thought I was going to be watching a meteor shower tonight, guess not."**

Balthazar hummed in acknowledgement, his eyes drifting to the sash tied around Gabriel's torso. He just noticed it and it captured his attention. At first glance, he thought it was some sort of one-shouldered backpack, but he noticed the designs and figured it was a blanket. Curiosity made his cobalt-blue eyes sparkle under the moonlight and he slightly raised an eyebrow in interest, wanting to know what Gabriel was hiding.

 **"** **Pray tell, what's that thing swaddled in your arm?"** He asked, pointing to the sling where, due to the protuberance, something was obviously wrapped inside. **"I could've sworn I heard you talking to it."**

 **"** **What, this?"** Gabriel motioned his head down towards the blanket, stalling as he thought of a cover for the child.

He casually set his hand inside the sling and over the baby's stomach. He didn't know why he was relieved when he felt her evenly breathing, but he wondered if she was sleeping because she was very quiet and she hasn't grabbed his fingers yet.

Balthazar nodded, his expression unreadable as he waited for an answer. Gabriel had one too and he smiled at the Angel.

 **"** **This just my puppy. She got tired from the long walk."** He lied like it was easier than breathing and to him, it was. He knew most people believed him too. He just had that kind of charm. **"And I was talking to her. There's nothing wrong with communicating with animals. They can understand** ** _us_** **. Humans, not so much."**

 **"** **You have pup?"** Balthazar quizzed, eyebrow dubiously raised. Gabriel simply nodded. Balthazar huffed in amusement, taking a step towards the Archangel. **"And it wouldn't be too much to ask to see your pup, would it?"**

Gabriel smirked. **"** **Won't believe it 'till you see it, huh?"**

 **"** **With your reputation, one must _see_ things before he believes them."**

 **"** **Well, take a look-see."** Gabriel removed his hand from inside the sash and the edge of the blanket fell over the opening with the gesture.

Balthazar kept his blue eyes locked on Gabriel's hazel ones as he closed the distance between them until he was toe-to-toe with the Archangel. He pinched one end of the blanket between his fingers and lifted it to reveal what was wrapped inside. He finally broke his stare with Gabriel and looked down.

Genuine surprise surmounted Balthazar's features when he met a pair of the brightest azure eyes he's ever witnessed. They were practically glowing with purity. And they belonged to an adorable Golden Labrador puppy that couldn't have been more than a year old, just like Gabriel said.

 **"** **Aren't you lovely…"** Balthazar complimented almost mindlessly as he stroked the dog's soft head with his finger.

He was expecting Gabriel to be hiding something otherworldly, whatever it was that he witnessed fall from the sky. Now that he thought about it, maybe _Gabriel_ was responsible for making something fall to Earth. Maybe he was beckoning extra-terrestrial life to visit the planet to abduct some Humans just for kicks. Who knew what zany ideas popped into the Archangel's imaginative head?

Balthazar escaped his thoughts and looked at Gabriel. The Archangel was smiling like the cocky bastard he could be and that made Balthazar huff.

 **"** **Balthazar, meet Isadora."** Gabriel introduced the pair, another fib effortlessly falling from his lips.

 **"** **Such a romantic name."** At that comment, Gabriel's smirk widened. Just from those few words, he knew Balthazar believed every word he said. The Angel gave the puppy another pat, then began backtracking as he spoke. **"Well, I think I'll be taking my leave. It's Friday night, the city's alive and I'm almost late for a ménage à…what's French for 'twelve'?"**

 **"** ** _Douze_** **."** Gabriel informed him and Balthazar stopped walking backwards, eyebrows lifting in delighted surprise as a grin grew on his face.

 **"** **As far as I'm concerned, I never saw you tonight."** While Balthazar's words were as stiff as a corpse, he didn't lose his grin. Whether it was from seeing Gabriel again after all the time that's passed or if it was a lingering smirk from that French comment, no one knew for sure. Perhaps, it was both. **"You don't tell anybody I'm alive and I'll keep thinking you're dead, vice versa and all."**

Gabriel's brows pulled together and his eyes squinted in confusion. Balthazar instantly lost his grin, wondering what made the Archangel suddenly become so serious. **"** **I'm sorry, do I know you?"** He asked, sounding genuinely confused. When Balthazar caught on, his smile returned.

 **"** **No, you don't."**

And in the blink of an eye, the Angel was gone.

Gabriel sighed and looked down at the golden puppy still cradled in the sash. She yawned, but looked up at him and Gabriel smiled when he felt her tail wagging within the blanket. With a snap of his fingers, the puppy was transformed back into the orphaned child.

And of course, she was smiling up at him again.

 **"** **Alright, let's find a Brady Bunch for you."**

Gabriel spent a moment's thought scanning California for the best suburban neighborhoods with middle-class families, acceptable schools and low crime rates. He was walking down the street of a cul-de-sac and he was taking note of all the bicycles or other toys littering most of the front lawns, but he spotted one without any playthings in the grass at all.

He looked into the window of the house and watched as a man and woman, both looking to be in their mid-30s, exited their kitchen with plates of food. The woman was a beige-blonde with chocolate eyes while the man was a brunet with sky-blue eyes. They set their dinner on TV trays placed a few inches in front of the sofa and began watching whatever was flickering on the screen. A few minutes passed and the couple began talking while a commercial played. Gabriel could literally feel how much the pair loved each other and he pretended to gag, much to the baby's delight because she giggled at his silly expression.

The woman turned her attention back to the TV when a Huggies commercial played and the man followed her gaze. His expression went from curious to sorrowful longing and he didn't notice when the woman turned to stare at him. Her expression displayed a depressing sense of liability. Everything clicked for Gabriel when the commercial ended and the man immediately took the blonde's hands in his own and said what had to be words of comfort, but they made tears fall from his partner's eyes.

 **"** **Well, cutie pie. It's been fun."** Gabriel told the baby as he got her settled in the basket he manifested. He was tucking her in with the blanket she came with and she was simply watching, but, unknown to Gabriel, her eyes were not on him. They were staring in awe at something behind him, attachments that were disastrous to Human eyes.

Once the child was smugly tucked in, Gabriel looked down at her one last time. Her eyes lingered behind him for a second, then she looked into his eyes and she began to smile again, but the gesture was interrupted by a yawn.

 **"** **I'm pretty sure these Humans are gonna take good care of you, but I'm gonna check-in just to make sure they're not sadists or something."** Gabriel had mindlessly began stoking the child's cheek with his finger as he talked to her, something he felt was normal. With a slight frown, he slowly withdrew his finger from her face as he realized he was becoming attached. He couldn't allow that to happen. **"Happy trails, little one."**

Gabriel knocked on the door and rang the doorbell three times before teleporting down the street. He watched as the door opened and the man looked for someone, then his eyes drifted down to the child in the basket. Even from his position, Gabriel could see how wide the man's eyes were. The brunet kneeled down and picked the basket up as if it were the most fragile thing in all of creation. Gabriel watched as the man smiled at the child and he softly talked to her as he brought her inside his home.

For some reason, Gabriel lingered. He didn't move from his spot, but he was watching the house with all of the concentration he had. He was waiting for something to go wrong, to hear the baby's screaming cries, so he could burn that house to the ground and smite those Humans for daring to hurt her.

And he scolded himself for getting attached when he knew it was a stupid thing to do.

Gabriel knew exactly what he needed to get back to his old self. He remembered his earlier plans and he knew that after he got tangled in the sheets with Kandice Kink, he'd forget about that baby girl. He wouldn't think about her tomorrow or the next week. She'd be off his conscience before morning.

Gabriel teleported to the entrance of the sumptuous hotel he was staying at. He walked up the steps, entered the lobby, gave the concierge a passing smile and took the elevator to the 12th floor where his room was. After remodeling his suite to look like the romantic setting he saw in one of the magazines he had on an end table in the living room, Gabriel went to the wall mirror and ran a comb through his hair.

There was a knock at the door and Gabriel set the comb down as he headed for the door. His hand was on the knob when he paused. He looked at the romantic setting, but he just didn't feel in the mood yet. Something was still missing. He clapped and all the candles in the suite lit. He breathed in and smiled as the scent of honeysuckle greeted his senses.

 **"** **Kandice, right on time."** He welcomed as he opened the door, but nobody answered him. Confused as to where his sexy co-star was, Gabriel looked down each end of the hall to see if he'd find a retreating form, but he didn't spot anyone.

 **"** **Down here!"** A child's voice called, then a tiny hand was thrust up into the air and began waving to catch Gabriel's attention. He looked down and saw a little girl attached to the hand.

She was wearing a frilly lavender nightgown that fell to her ankles and turned into a bunch of ruffles at the end of the skirt. Her light hair fell to her stomach in loosening waves and looked a bit matted as if she was just awoken. She rubbed her eyes.

 **"** **Hiya."** She waved again, this one slower than the first. She had to be tired. It was close to midnight.

 **"** **It's a little late to be selling Girl Scout cookies, missy."** Gabriel sassed and the girl saucily raised her eyebrows.

 **"** **Do I _look like_ I'm selling cookies? Do you ****_see_** **any cookies around here?"** She pivoted as she motioned to the empty hallway of sumptuous hotel rooms with her hands. Gabriel huffed, amused at her confidence.

 **"** **If you're not trying to scam me into buying cookies, why are you here?"**

She shrugged, humming 'I dunno' and Gabriel's expression deadpanned. **"He brought me here and told me to stay with you."**

 **"** **He who?"** He questioned.

 **"** ** _Him."_** She sassed back, as if it were obvious.

Gabriel thought for a moment. He wondered if the kid was just one of the other guests staying in the hotel, but there weren't many children or families booked in the building to begin with.

He mentally checked off the possibility of the child being a Nephilim off the list too, but he wasn't stupid enough to let something like that happen. He got his groove on every now in then, just like he was planning to do tonight, but he wasn't reckless and it took a certain type of woman to get him to draw his pistol. Usually, that woman was someone he conjured from a movie or some kind of lesser deity, but he wasn't picky. He's given a few lucky Humans the nights of their lives.

But if he did just so happen to knock someone up, he had a Plan-B. He'd simply relocate the woman and their half-Angelic child to another dimension where they would never be seen or heard from ever again. He remembered how Heaven would be alerted whenever a Nephilim was born, similar to how everyone would lose their goddamn minds when the alert for a Cambion sounded, and he did not want any offspring of his to be hunted, so transporting them to another world was the safest option.

 **"** **I like your pretty wings."** The child's awing voice pulled Gabriel from his thoughts.

He looked down at her with wide eyes, stammering. She couldn't have just said what he thought she did. That was _impossible_. As if he thought she was lying, he looked over his shoulder to see his gilded wings folded behind him.

 **"** **What?"** Was the only coherent word his mouth could form.

 **"** **I think your wings are pretty and I like them."** The girl slowly repeated, shaking her head as if Gabriel was a moron.

 **"** **How can- what- you can** ** _see_** **my wings?"**

 **"** **Uh, yeah. They're giganta-normous. You gotta be blind to miss 'em."** She laughed a little and Gabriel's ears twitched. Her giggle sounded familiar to him. **"I know what you are too."**

 **"** **Oh, yeah? What am I, Miss Smarty Pants?"**

 **"** **Your name is Gabriel and you're the third Ark-Angel and the Messenger of God."** She told him matter-of-factly, her tiny hands shooting to her almost nonexistent hips as Gabriel gaped. **"Take that, Mr. Not-So Smarty Pants."**

Gabriel didn't know what the hell was going on right now. How could this child know that he was a divine being? How could she _see_ his wings? He kept them cloaked for a reason, to prevent thousands of Humans from getting their eyes burned out every day. And how, in his Father's name, did she know that he was the third of four sons, the Messenger of God?

 **"** **Come on, get in here."** Gabriel moved to the side and waved the child into his suite. In an act of paranoia, he scanned the hallway again to ensure that nobody had seen or heard the conversation.

With a snap, the romantic room from the home décor magazine was gone and his opulent suite was back. The girl had made her way into his kitchenette and climbed in a chair at the dining table. Gabriel hoisted her up to sit on the tabletop and folded his arms over his chest.

 **"** **Alright, kid. How did you know all that stuff about me? And how can you see my wings? If any Human saw them, their eyes would burn outta their heads. Yet yours are still…un-gooey."** Gabriel waited for an answer, but he realized that the girl wasn't paying him any mind. Her focus was on the small mountain of candy sitting in a bowl on the counter like a decorative centerpiece. Gabriel, seeing an angle, retrieved the bowl and plucked a chocolate truffle from the bunch as incentive. **"Candy for answers. Start talking."**

 **"** **I dunno how I know, just do. It's all in here."** The girl easily answered, tapping her head with a finger. Gabriel frowned.

 **"** **That doesn't make sense. How do you know things, but you don't know how you know them?"**

 **"** **How do you know you're an Ark-Angel?"** She countered.

 **"** **Uh, hello. I have giganta-normous** ** _wings_** **."** For emphasis, Gabriel flapped his golden wings and to his surprise, the child's blonde hair was gently blown back behind her shoulders. She even giggled.

 **"** **That doesn't prove anything."** She persisted, trying to stifle her smile.

 **"** **My Father** ** _specifically_** **made me into an Archangel."**

 **"** **Well, maybe He was a fibber. Maybe you're not an Ark-Angel at all. Maybe your Dad was an Eagle and your Mom was a person and** ** _that's_** ** _why_ you have wings."** The girl stuck her chin out as she waited for Gabriel to retort, seeming to have an endless amount of comebacks.

However, the Archangel didn't say a word. He was momentarily stunned into silence. Was he being out-sassed by a 5-year-old? And did said 5-year-old just call _God_ a bird?

 **"** **You're a cheeky little thing. I love it."** He smiled at her **. "Alright, putting the whole Angel-vision thing aside, what's your name?"**

 **"** **One answer for one candy. You owe me."** She stuck her hand out and with an eye roll, Gabriel gave her the truffle. She unwrapped it and bit one half of the chocolate circle, her little legs beginning to joyously kick. **"I thought my name was Isadora, but He told me my real name is Aziza** ***** **. I don't think I have a last name."**

 **"** **That's not possible…"** Gabriel muttered, a disbelieving expression on his face. Isadora was the name he gave to the baby he turned into a puppy when he was lying to Balthazar. She couldn't be the same child that he found because it was an _infant._ Humans grew by years, not _by hours_ , and this child was at least 5-years-old. Besides, he left the baby with that suburban couple. There was no way she could've found her way to him. **"Do you…what's the oldest thing you can remember about your life?"**

 **"** **Well, first, it was really dark, but it was warm too. I think I was sleeping. Then, everything was like,** ** _boom_** **!"** She threw her hands out to emphasize the explosion. **"And I started seeing light cracks in the dark, then saw all the stars in the sky, then everything went white. Then, I remember that I was with some other people, but He came to get me. He said I didn't belong with them and that they wouldn't know how to take care of me, so He was gonna bring me to His son 'cause His other sons were in places that He couldn't go to and He didn't want something bad to happen to me."**

 **"** **His…sons."** Gabriel repeated, feeling some tears prickle at his eyes. It couldn't be Him…it just couldn't. **"Father…** ** _God_** **talked to you? You** ** _saw_** **Him?"**

Aziza didn't answer, just stuck her hand out in a silent demand for her payment. With another eye roll, Gabriel got her another piece of candy to eat and she nodded in affirmation at his questions.

Gabriel set the bowl of candy down and took a step away from Aziza. She was watching him and looked concerned, but she didn't say anything. Gabriel was trying to take in the overwhelming information he just received from the child. His Father, the almighty God who abandoned Heaven and His children, had come out of hiding just to bring Aziza to His son, to Gabriel. His Father was _in this very building,_ so close to him, and he didn't realize it until it was too late.

A bombardment of questions attacked Gabriel's mind. The Archangel wondered if his Father had been watching over him since he left Heaven. Why did God decide that he was the best candidate to care for Aziza, to be her Guardian Archangel? And what was she? Against how she looked, she couldn't be Human, but he still detected that she was. Maybe He warded her for protection. That still left the question of what she could be. She had to be something important and ethereal if _God_ risked being spotted by one of His children to deliver her to Gabriel. He could've dropped her off at the portal to Heaven and had Michael look after her.

His eldest brother had taken the backbreaking weight of managing Heaven onto his shoulders when God left. Michael had little to no paternal skills because he was sculpted into the perfect warrior, but when given a task, he followed through without making any mistakes. If God dropped Aziza off with Michael instead of Gabriel and she told the first Archangel what she just told Gabriel, Michael wouldn't have let the girl out of his sight for a nanosecond. He wouldn't have interrogated her, but he probably would've asked her something of the same questions that Gabriel did. After that, Michael simply would have protected the child because it was obvious that his Father deemed her important and Michael was always the loyal son.

There were so many things that Gabriel wanted to ask his Father about this child and why he abruptly deserted Heaven without a word of explanation. At least now, he knew that God was still alive, but he wondered what He was doing hiding on Earth when there were other universes for Him to disappear to. Maybe He was performing miracles, helping His favorite creations.

Gabriel took in a breath and wiped at his tear-filled eyes. So many questions with no answers. He looked at Aziza and her brows were still threaded together in concern. She looked like she wanted to hop off the table and hug Gabriel. He gave her a weak smile as he regained his place in front of her. She fished around the bowl of candy until she grabbed a 3 Musketeers bar and held it out for him to take. His smile was more convincing as he took the candy, opened it and broke it into two pieces to share with her.

 **"** **Did He say anything else?"** He asked. Aziza nibbled on her candy for a moment as she thought, looking up at the ceiling. A light-bulb seemed to go off in her mind.

 **"** **Oh! He gave me a letter and He told me a story."**

Aziza stuffed the candy bar in her mouth like a squirrel hoarding acorns and took a napkin from the holder on the table to clean her fingers. She bent over, and she would've tipped off the table if Gabriel hadn't grabbed her shoulder, to dig into her frilled sock. She pulled out a piece of paper that was folded down into a square and gave it to Gabriel.

 **"** **What story did he tell you?"** Gabriel asked as he took the folded letter.

 **"** **He said it wasn't finished yet, but the Angels were gonna tell me the endingg. He asked me not to tell you or anybody else. I pinky promised."**

Gabriel accepted that answer, nodding in understanding. Pinky promises were sacred, especially to kids, and shouldn't be broken unless someone wanted their little finger to get cut off. As he began unfolding the note to read it, Aziza sat crossed-legged on the table and pulled the candy bowl in her lap to indulge in the sweets at her leisure.

 _ **'** **All men live not by care for themselves, but by love.  
And all men live not by the thought they spend on their own welfare, but because love exists in man.  
Though it seems to men that they live by care for themselves, in truth, it is love alone which by they live.**_

 _ **What was once left fragmentary will pursue its ordained path to culmination.  
Do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the Soul. Rather, fear he who can destroy both Soul and body in Hell.**_

 _ **The Star will rise above the horizons, perched in the wild, blue yonder like a shining beacon; they will flock to his light and accede to his word, the bidding of a Serpent that cannot be domesticated without Her flowery touch.**_

 _ **Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints and by love, one will be conquered, be it the Earth or a son.  
For he is a servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.**_

 ** _She is the key that will hallmark the momentous coda._**  
 ** _For She is a reflection of Her beloved and She will ensure his plans are accomplished._**

 _ **Peace, I leave with you.  
My peace, I give to you.**_

 _ **Let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.'**_

Gabriel knew his Father's perfect handwriting better than he knew how many feathers were on his wings. It was Monotype Corsiva, an elegant calligraphy to transcribe life. And his Father had written a prophecy in His signature complexity.

Gabriel would have to read over the letter a billion times before he'd be able to make _perfect_ sense of what his Father was telling him, but he understood that Aziza was important and it was likely that she was the 'Her' in the letter. He would have to study each line and probably grab a few first-edition Bibles to decode what he was sure were verses.

Either way, Gabriel knew that this child was now his top priority and he would defend her, Grace and wing, against everything.

* * *

Aziza:  
Arabic meaning 'Powerful, beloved'

* * *

I was pulled into the fiery pits of the SPN fandom after seeing so many Tumblr posts that I didn't understand about these two could-be underwear models, this adorable blue-eyed man with black hair, Jeffery Dean Morgan in all his orgasmic sexiness, _Carry On Wayward Son_ by Kansas and this kick-ass Impala. I had no idea what this show was going to be about, but I fell in love with it.

Thanks to Netflix, I've been binge watching. I'm currently on the early episodes of Season 12, but this is loosely taking place in Season 5. My memory might be a little rusty on the earlier seasons, so feel free to point out anything I get wrong.

If anyone's interested, a Pinterest board will be up on my account {l0v3m3n0tr3b3l} with the same name as this story within the next few days/chapters.

To my readers of **Tears On The Runway** , I've obviously been having a hard time continuing that story, so hopefully working on a new one will get me inspired. I won't leave it unfinished.

This is my first ever Supernatural fic and it's me coming off the bench after a long absence, so go easy on me in the feedback :)


	2. Hello, My Name Is Human

It's been years since the last chapter.  
Lucifer's been released from the Cage and he's possessing Nick, but the Angels haven't started tormenting Dean to get him to consent to Michael's possession yet.

Enjoy!

* * *

 **"** **What are we doing here again?"** Dean asked his brother, his eyes on the road as he drove.

They were in Arizona, but that's all he remembered about what this case was about. They were resting up after a nasty Poltergeist case in Utah and Dean was enjoying the R&R time.

While they were in the area, Sam had suggested that they visit the Utah Olympic Park for a day of fun and Dean spent a majority of his time riding the zip-lines. The next day, the brothers made a 4-hour drive to Zion National Park. It was nothing close to the Grand Canyon, but they enjoyed their visit all the same and promised each other that they'd go see the Grand Canyon one day. Dean hoped they'd get a chance to go while they were in Tucson for this case.

Yesterday, Sam decided it was time to get back into the workflow and said he was looking into a few leads. After hearing where the case was, Dean just got in Baby and started driving.

 **"** **You weren't listening to me earlier, were you?"** Sam expectantly asked, already knowing the answer, as he shut his laptop on his lap and pulled a manila folder with his case notes from under it.

 **"** **Sam, I never listen to you when I'm watching** ** _The Three Stooges._** **You should know this by now."**

 **"** **Something's hunting in Tucson, Arizona."** Sam began with a shake of his head as he flipped through the papers and newspaper clippings. **"Three bodies were found in the woods within the same week, all shredded. The only trend I could find were that all the victims were known for walking nature trails or were taking a run through the woods. The last victim was a student from the University of Arizona, Trenton Marks. He was the university's an up-and-coming wrestling star and almost 300-pounds of pure muscle. His girlfriend reported him missing the day before what was left of his body was found and identified."**

Sam paused and grabbed the picture of Trenton he cut out from the obituaries to give to Dean. Without taking his eyes off the road, Dean retrieved the picture and positioned it next to his hand on the steering wheel to look at the student in his marginal view. He hummed to let Sam know that he was listening and that he could continue, but his mind was stuck on that last detail. Werewolf or not, going up against 300-pounds of college-aged beefcake was impressive.

 **"** **Due to the claw marks, police are convinced that these were Coyote or Black Bear attacks."** Sam proceeded with his debriefing. **"Rangers are saying that the victims probably got too close to the animal's nest or family, it's mating season for the Coyotes by the way, and it felt threatened, so it attacked them."**

 **"** **Because that makes sense."** Dean rolled his eyes. **"I'm horny, so I'm gonna rip your goddamn chest open. _Perfect_ explanation, no reason to think otherwise."**

Sam was smirking in his seat. **"I'll bet their hearts are missing too, so this is looking like a Werewolf case."**

 **"** **Lunar cycle fits?"**

 **"** **Next full moon isn't until next month, but there was a half-moon Tuesday night when the murders started."**

 **"** **So, purebreds."**

 **"** **Might be."** Dean made a noise of disapproval. Sam was flipping through his notes again when he spotted a few newspaper clippings being held together by a paper clip. **"Oh, there's something else too. A few people in the same area have reported being 'possessed by evil forces' and waking up in alleyways or abandoned buildings. Not as crucial, but something to know."**

 **"** **Can a Demon possess a Werewolf?"** Dean queried. **"I know Demons usually don't possess monsters, but that doesn't mean they** ** _can't_** **. And what would that make it? A…Were-mon?"**

 **"** **That sounds like a knockoff Pokémon."** Sam chuckled. **"I don't know if Demons can or would even want to possess a Werewolf, but the last thing we need is a hybrid. Worst case scenario: Demons and Werewolves are working together for some reason."**

Dean nodded at Sam's theory, but his mind was still stuck on a name for the product of a Werewolf and a Demon. He pondered over a better name for a moment, but he couldn't find anything better than 'Were-mon' so he kept it as that.

 **"** **Three people are dead. Let's go put a bad dog down."** With a rev of Baby's engine, Dean sped down the long road headed to Tuscon. **  
**

 **SN*SN*SN***

Dean and Sam just exited the morgue where the victim's heartless bodies were. Based on what they saw, there was no doubt that they were dealing with a Werewolf. Dean initially thought that they were going to be hunting one, but Sam reminded him that most Werewolves run with a pack, even if it's just two members. There could be one looking to make a pack in town, which would explain the sudden murders, or maybe one was stopping for a bite to eat before moving on, but there was definitely a Werewolf hunting here.

Dean had insisted on getting something to eat at a nearby a diner, since they only stopped for bathroom breaks on the drive, before they went to talk to the families of the recently deceased. They drove around town for a few minutes, found a spot called Rummy's and went in. Thankfully, there weren't many people in the place and they snagged a booth near the window.

There were menus on the table and Dean grabbed his to survey what the place had to offer while Sam set his laptop on the table and was typing away, reviewing what they saw at the morgue and what the police said. He almost didn't want to talk to the Forest Rangers because he knew that these weren't Coyote/Black Bear attacks and he didn't want them to tell him that. There was always the possibility of someone seeing something that nobody else did and he wondered if the Rangers had those motion-activated cameras posted within the forests. If one of those cameras snapped a picture of there Werewolf, that'd make their job a little easier.

 **"** **Ha. Sam, look. They've got Hangover Happy Meals."** Dean looked away from his menu and to his brother, frowning when he realized Sam was still working. He pushed the laptop's lid down and Sam's fingers almost got smashed, but he managed to jerk his hands away.

 **"** **What?"**

 **"** **Hangover Happy Meals."** Dean repeated, waving his menu in Sam's face. Sam snatched it away and Dean took the second menu from under the laptop. He started snickering when he saw the name of some of the other items. **"Listen to this. The Brokeback Burger, a hunk of meat between two firm buns. Or if you're in the mood for something a little exotic, there's the Irish Seven Course Dinner, which is one potato and six beers. But who could resist a Chickenpox Pie that's guaranteed to leave you** ** _itching_** **for more? And for the kids, The Chicken that Didn't Quite Cross the Road."**

Dean laughed, completely enjoying himself. He didn't remember coming to the restaurant on any of their few hunts in Tucson and he wondered if it was new.

Looking to his brother, Dean frowned again when he realized that Sam wasn't paying attention to the hilarious menu. He wasn't focused on his laptop either. Sam's head was turned to the side where some people were sitting on stools at the counter and he was bluntly staring at one of them. Dean turned too, wanting to see who caught Sam's attention.

Straight, golden-blonde streaks were naturally mixed into predominantly honey-blonde hair and fell a few inches past the girl's shoulder blades. Her eyebrows were a fallow-brown, but still matched her blonde hair and she had bright azure eyes. She was wearing a denim jacket with the sleeves cuffed just under her elbows. Under that, she wore a white shirt with a Starbucks cup printed in the middle and it was tucked into a coral-pink skirt that fell just above her knees. She wore no stockings or leggings, her depilous legs were publicized for the world to see and they ended in white low-top sneakers.

Dean's eyebrows raised in approval. Sam really knew how to pick a girl, but she looked a little too young for him. Hell, she looked too young for either of them, but he couldn't take his eyes off her either. The girl was sitting on a stool at the corner of the counter and she didn't notice the Winchesters staring at her because she was writing something down in a little notebook with a colored ink pen that had one of those fluffy balls of puff on one end. There was a small basket of crinkle-cut French fries next to her drink and she had one of those crazy straws, that looked to be in the shape of a treble clef, sticking out of the cup.

 **"** **Hello? Anybody home?"** The snapping of fingers made the brothers flinch.

Dean's hand instinctively shot to his gun, but he relaxed upon realizing that a waitress had come to take their order. Her nametag read 'Suzanne' and the brunette was looking between the brothers with an eyebrow raised.

 **"** **Welcome back to Earth."** The almost 40-year-old woman smirked at the boys, her honey-eyes twinkling. **"Coffee's free for cops or detectives and whatnot. Did you fellas want something to eat or should I just let you get back to staring at my customers?"**

After a few nervous chuckles, Dean and Sam placed their orders. They thanked Suzanne, who insisted they call her Suzie, and she went to get their drinks. The brothers were silent after their waitress left, both of them sneaking glances at the girl still scribbling in her book. When Suzie was coming back with their drinks, they looked away from the blonde before she could notice.

 **"** **Banana shake for you."** She set a vintage milkshake glass with a swirl of whipped cream and a cherry on top in front of Sam. **"And a root beer float for you."**

A beer mug filled with fizzy A&W root beer and a scoop of vanilla ice-cream was carefully set in front of Dean. The damn thing looked like it was ready to explode from how frothy it was, but that just made Dean smile.

 **"** **Do you have any pie?"** He asked before Suzie was lured to another table where a customer was waving her down. She put a finger up to the patron and shook her head at Dean.

 **"** **Sorry, hon. That little blonde just snagged the last slice to go."** Suzie nodded behind her before leaving their table.

Sam and Dean's eyes were back on the blonde sitting at the counter and she closed her tiny book, putting it in her jacket pocket. With a plastic container of what looked like a mouthwatering slice of Mississippi Mud pie in her hand, she slid off her stool and grabbed something that was leaning under the counter. Both brothers cocked an eyebrow as they watched the girl slide the strap of a Super Soaker CPS 2000 over her head and settled the water gun into place between her shoulder blades. They looked away when she passed their table on her way to the exit, but their eyes followed her out.

Dean had to look behind him to watch the girl leave, but Sam was observing her from over his brother's shoulders. His eyes flicked to another woman standing up and his spine straightened when he noticed her eyes before they changed to bottle-green. He nudged Dean with his knee under the table. Mouthing 'Demon', Sam nodded to the noirette just as Suzie returned with their plates. They didn't notice the food in front of them or Suzie watching them slightly squirm in their seats because they were too busy trying to keep the Demon in their sights.

Suzanne said nothing as she went to fetch containers and bags from the kitchen.

 **SN*SN*SN***

Dean and Sam were trailing the Demon that left the diner on foot. They left Suzie a nice tip and put their untouched meals in Baby while they stalked the monster. They were prepared with flasks of holy water in their suit jackets and Sam had the Demon-Killing Knife too, but they were waiting for the Demon to get out of sight. Stabbing a Demon wearing a woman's skin in broad daylight wasn't something the general public needed to see.

Thankfully, after another few minutes of walking, the Demon cut down an alleyway. Dean was cautious with the thought that the Demon was in the backstreet to meet with some of its black-eyed friends, so he and Sam didn't go charging in. Instead, they took cover on the side of a dumpster and Dean peered over the edge to watch.

He saw the Demon, but his brows furrowed in confusion when he saw who it was meeting. It was the blonde girl from the diner. She was facing the Demon and she had her water gun in her hands, pumped and ready to fire.

 **"** **Make it stop."** The Demon growled, its fists tightly balled at its sides. The blonde just cocked her head to the side. **"I can hear him in my head. He's** ** _screeching._** **He wants me to bring you to him, but that's impossible. If he wants you, then you must know how to make him shut up!"**

 **"** **You're right. I can make it stop."** The girl smiled at the Demon, then raised her water gun and shot a steady stream at its chest.

And the Demon was growling and screaming in complete agony.

The flesh of its meat-suit was sizzling and Dean was certain that the damn thing was going to melt into a puddle of liquidated flesh. He looked behind him and over Sam's head to see if a passerby had heard all the commotion, but nobody was coming to investigate. They were at the end of the alleyway and he doubted anyone could hear what was going on.

Turning back to the action, the Demon was soaking with what could only be holy water. Its growls had simmered down to feeble snarls and it was on its hands and knees, panting. Its hand was outstretched in a pathetic attempt to shield itself from another burst of holy water, but the blonde didn't fire again. She used the end of the water-gun to tilt the Demon's head up. One hand was still clutching the gun and her finger was around the trigger. The other one was being used to steady the water-gun, but she used that one to reach out for the Demon.

The blonde put her hand on the Demon's forehead and it immediately began to convulse, growling again, but it seemed like it couldn't move away from her. Then, it threw its head back and let out a long scream as black smoke escaped its gaping mouth. The body fell to the ground, but the smoke looked to be retreating. It was flying up the tall walls, probably to get into a vent on the building's roof, but it suddenly stopped like something had grabbed hold of it.

The black smoke was being pulled back down and it was because of the blonde. Her eyes were closed, her hand was outstretched and the smoke was following her movements as she dragged it back down to the ground. Once the black smoke was on ground-level, it burned a circle into the asphalt as it incinerated.

Dean and Sam's jaws were on the floor.

The blonde let out a quick sigh, but smiled. Sliding the water-gun over her shoulder, she went to check on the woman who was just possessed. The brothers looked at each other, eyes still a bit wide. Even if she helped, they knew they couldn't just leave without getting some answers from that girl. With a nod, they left their cover of the dumpster and crept towards the blonde, guns out and pointed low. Before they got too close, the girl looked up and spotted them. She was on her feet with the water-gun aimed on Dean.

 **"** **I'm giving you one chance."** She pumped the water-gun in a threatening matter. **"Get out of those guys right now and go back to the hovel you crawled out of."**

 **"** **This is** ** _my_** **meat-suit."** Dean objected.

 **"** **We're not possessing anyone."** Sam clarified.

The blonde scoffed. **"Said every Demon ever."**

 **"** **Listen-"** She pumped the water gun and fired a stream of liquid at Dean's face, cutting off his sentence, then turning to do the same to Sam. After getting a mouthful of holy water for what had to be the millionth time, Dean spit it out and pointedly looked at the girl. She seemed confused. **"We're not Demons."**

 **"** **Oh, not good. Not good."** She muttered to herself as she put the water gun on her back.

The brothers were taking cautious steps towards the girl when she pulled something out from behind her. Before either man could realize that she had retrieved a small gun, she fired it and the sound could've been mistaken for someone opening a bottle of champagne. Sam froze for a second, waiting to feel the blood dampening his clothes somewhere on his body or the throbbing pain. He didn't feel either.

Sam looked over to Dean and saw his brother slightly hunched over. He'd dropped his gun to hold wherever he got shot, but that's what was worrying Sam. He didn't know where Dean had gotten shot and this could be a life or death moment. When he writhed, Sam saw his hand clutching his shoulder.

 **"** **Drop it!"** She barked at Sam when he tried to move to help his brother. He looked at her and saw her trembling gun aimed on his right shoulder.

Moving slowly as not to startle her anymore, Sam kneeled down and set his gun on the ground. He slid it a few inches away from him so that it was positioned just a few inches from the woman's comatose body. He looked over at Dean and cocked an eyebrow at the sounds his brother was making. Dean was groaning and panting like he just got shot in the chest or gut. Sam knew that the bullet either went cleanly through Dean's shoulder or it just grazed his arm because he heard the bullet when it collided with the brick wall. He also knew for a damn fact that his brother wouldn't dare be wailing like a baby over getting shot. He's had much worse.

 **"** **For the love of God, we're Human! Would you just look at my arm? I'm bleeding normal, red blood like everyone else."** Dean cried out to the girl, hissing in pain as he clutched his shoulder. He hobbled over to the brick wall and dramatically fell into it to use it to hold him up. **"My arm's starting to feel numb. Oh, God. Am I having a stroke? I think I need a doctor."**

Dean leaned on his uninjured arm, his back to the girl, as he winced and made little pules of agony. He discreetly glanced at Sam and winked, the gesture taking all but a few seconds. Sam instantly caught on to the ruse his brother was playing at. Looking back at the girl, he noticed that she was almost as pale as a ghost. She looked worried and remorseful **,** but she was timidly inching closer to Dean like she wanted to help him.

Dean continued to act like he was in unbearable pain and was luring the girl towards him as Sam was edging to his gun. Dean turned to face her when she was just a few feet away, his emerald eyes glossy and pleading, and she lowered the gun. She quickly closed the space between them and once she was before Dean, he acted quickly. His arms shot out and one hand was around the girl's wrist to force her to point the gun away from them while the other one easily pried her grip off it. Once he released her, she jerked away from him, only to bump into Sam who had retrieved his pistol while that was going on.

 **"** **Here's some pro tips."** Dean sighed as he stood tall, examining the gun. It was Walther CP99 Compact, an air pistol. That would explain why it felt like he was getting pinched when one of the pellets hit him. **"** **First off,** ** _never_** **get within arm's reach 'cause what I just did could happen. Second, always shoot the head or the kneecaps."** For emphasis, he tapped the compact pistol to his temple, then his knee. **"Doesn't matter what it is, nobody's gettin' anywhere without their noggin or knees."**

Dean smiled at the girl, but his smirk vanished when he noticed that she'd backed into the wall. The unconscious woman was separating her from he and his brother again, but the blonde looked like a little bunny-rabbit who just got cornered by starving Dingoes.

For some reason, seeing her so frightened struck a nerve within Dean. A chord that seemed ancient, one that he wouldn't have even known existed until today. And that nerve was disclosed because he didn't like the fact that she was afraid of _him_.

Dean never wanted a woman to feel like she wasn't safe around him, unless she was some homicidal monster. He and Sam always made sure that if they were protecting a woman on a case that she was as comfortable as they could make her. It built trust and that usually let the woman know that they weren't going to kill her, which needed to be established for anything to get done.

Dean went to take a half-step closer to the blonde and wanted say something that got her to loosen up, maybe a joke or kudos on not being afraid of Demons. He didn't want to hurt her at all, just ask her some questions and make sure she was okay. He had to shake his head a bit after that thought. Why the hell was he so concerned about a stranger that just shot him? A stranger who was probably a _Witch,_ he reminded himself.

 **"** **You can relax. We're not going to hurt you."** Sam's comforting voice came from beside Dean and the older brother took a step back.

Sam was better at getting people to calm down and those dewy eyes of his made everyone trust him because they made him _look_ harmless. The blonde, however, was looking at Sam like he was a goddamn maniac and seemed _far_ from willing to trust him or his brother.

 **"** **Relax? I'm trapped in a backstreet, where nobody can hear me scream, with a Levi's model and** ** _Magic Mike_** **stripper that got kicked off** ** _Law & Order _who ****took my only means of protection and are probably gonna chop me up into itty-bitty pieces."** She stressed and she had a valid point. If Sam were in the same situation, he wouldn't be at ease either.

 **"** **Which one of us is the Levi's model?"** Dean casually asked, earning an incredulous look from the blonde. He was genuinely stumped on which one she was referring him to though. He was used to being called a Ken Doll, but she just threw a screwball.

 **"** **Ignore him."** Sam dismissed, getting the girl's attention again. He tucked his gun into the waistband of his pants and held his palms up in a nonthreatening manner, hoping to earn a teaspoon of trust. **"We just want to talk, okay?"**

The blonde stared at Sam for a moment, seeming to be evaluating if he was still a threat. Her eyes darted over to Dean. His spine straightened like a ruler under her gaze and he hid the gun that he took from her behind his back. His eyes had lost any former compassion or tenderness he held towards the girl as the words 'witch' and 'monster' were on replay in his mind.

The blond seemed to notice his steeliness because she took tiny steps to distance herself from Dean and almost unnoticeably shift towards Sam.

 **"** **Talk about what?"** She asked Sam, but she was still watching Dean.

 **"** **About how you made that Demon smoke out."** Dean's tone was all business as he spoke before Sam could answer, stepping forward. **"I've never seen anyone do something like that, so I've come to two conclusions. One: You've got some Demon Juice pumpin' you up or Two: You've got some skeevy, Grand Coven-level witchcraft up your sleeve. And you should know, I** ** _really_** **hate witches. They're up** ** _high_** **on my shitlist."**

Dean was a few steps in front of Sam and if it weren't for his height, Dean would be blocking his brother from the girl's sight. He knew Sam was probably giving him a disapproving look for intimidating the girl, but he didn't care. That girl could be a Witch and she could somehow be responsible for the recent murders. Or worse, she could be turning people into Werewolves and making them kill innocent people. That was all he needed to be defensive and callous.

It was obvious that the blonde was still anxious, but her eyes hardened when Dean seemed to assert his dominance. She was giving him a little glare too and Dean huffed at it. That was cute. The blonde looked like she was about to tell the eldest brother off until her face turned purple, but her words died in her mouth before she could say them. Her blue eyes were ignited with a fire that guaranteed someone was going to get cauterized, but the flames extinguished as she looked from Dean's eyes to his chest.

And she simply stared at Dean's torso like it was the most interesting thing she's ever seen in her life. She wasn't even blinking and her eyes were as big as saucers.

Sam stepped up next to his brother, his brows furrowed in puzzlement as he waited for the girl to come out of whatever trance she was in. He glanced at Dean's chest, but there was nothing spectacular there. In an act of paranoia, Dean even glanced down and patted his torso to make sure everything was intact. He wasn't bleeding there and he didn't feel any different. He sent a nod to Sam to let him know that he was fine, but the blonde was still staring.

 **"** **Hey, sweetheart?"** Dean whistled. **"My eyes are up here."**

 **"** **Dude…your Soul…is** ** _flaming_** **."** Her eyes were still locked on Dean's chest as she spoke, her lips parting as she gawked. She blinked a few times, then pulled her eyes up to meet his. **"Seriously, that thing's a blazing…reddish-gold-blue…phoenix…barbarian battle axe-looking thing**. **That thing up in you is the very definition of a Warrior's Soul. What'd you do, drink Chuck Norris' blood?"**

 **"** **Did you just say** ** _his Soul_** **?"** Sam questioned.

The blonde's eyes shot to Sam and her expression was one that clearly said 'I just got caught.' She stuttered for a moment, trying to come up with an excuse.

 **"** **What? No way."** She waved Sam off with a scoff and smiled, but it was forced. He knew she was lying about Dean's Soul, but how could she _see it_ in the first place? **"That's crazy. Nobody can** ** _see_** **Souls. You're a crazy guy who says crazy things."**

 **"** **You're in the God Squad, aren't you? Been tunin' into K-Love radio?"** The blonde's eyes shot back to Dean when he spoke. He was expecting her to look at him like she had no idea what he was talking about, but Sam did too. Dean shook his head, highly unimpressed with the past bunch of generations. **"You're an Angel."**

 **"** **Oh, it's flattering to know you think so."** She nervously smiled at him, then shook her head. **"No, I'm not an Angel…but I wouldn't mind if** ** _my Angel_** **would pop in right about now."**

She mumbled that last bit, looking up as if an Angel would flutter down to her rescue, but Dean heard her. **"You have an Angel?"**

 **"** **No."** She blurted out and Dean knew, just from her big eyes, that she was lying _again,_ but she turned the tables on him. **"Do you?"**

 **"** **Yeah, actually."** The blonde's eyebrows lifted in surprise at that and Dean smirked. He closed his eyes and focused on the Angel in mind. **"Cas, hop on the Heavenly Express and come visit us ASAP."**

For a prolonged moment, there was silence. Then, the sound of flapping wings could be heard and Dean smiled.

 **"** **You know that there's no such thing as the Heavenly Express, don't you, Dean?"**

Sam and Dean turned around to see Castiel standing just a few inches behind them. The Angel acknowledged Sam with a glance, but his attention immediately shifted to Dean. He frowned at the bloody patch on his shoulder. Cas didn't bother to ask how Dean received his newest injury because he's grown accustomed to the Winchester brothers attaining flesh wounds almost hebdomadally and the older brother usually had the most or worst.

The Angel raised his hand to Dean's left deltoid and wrapped his fingers around the muscle as Dean let his right hand fall from clutching his wound. He knew he didn't have to ask Dean for permission to heal him, nor did Dean have to ask Cas to heal him because they had a talk about this. Dean granted Castiel permission to heal him whenever he wanted without asking.

With a minor injury like this, it only took a few seconds for Castiel to heal Dean and the tiny amount of Grace he used returned to its owner, but his touch always lingered when he got the opportunity to feel _that_ shoulder. His hand-print from when he gripped Dean tight and raised him from perdition was long gone, but the feeling was still there.

Castiel's focus was on where his palm was, how his hand instinctively moved to mimic the exact position of where the burnt skin used to be, and his head slightly titled to the side. Within his time knowing the Winchester brothers and learning what it was like to be Human, he still didn't understand the emotions he was able to feel. He was curious about them and why Dean always seemed to make these feelings ignite within him.

The Angel's prolonged hold had become noticeable to the brothers. A smirk was pulling at Sam's lips as he tried not to give away his amusement at the sight of Castiel looking completely tranquil because he was touching his brother. They were having another moment and he wasn't going to ruin it.

Dean, however, was staring at Castiel's eyes and even after all the time that the Angel's been with them, he couldn't find a shade of blue that could come close to the hue of Castiel's. It was as if an entirely new tincture of blue was created especially for the Angel's eyes. He knew Castiel was feeling that profound bond the pair had because he was feeling it too, especially since Castiel's hand was precisely on the spot where his hand-print used to be burned into his flesh.

In that moment, Dean was reminded that, even with the brand gone, he would carry a piece of Castiel with him for the rest of his life. He found an immense sense of comfort in that.

 **"** **Would it kill you to watch a cartoon?"** Dean asked, his voice softer than he intended it to be. Castiel's eyes traveled up to the Hunter's emerald ones and his dark brows pulled together in misperception.

 **"** **No, it wouldn't. I'm an Angel, very little can kill me. You know this."** He told Dean and watched as the man tried not to roll his eyes. Dean just pointedly looked at Castiel. After a moment, a metaphorical light-bulb went off above the Angel's head. **"Were you being sarcastic?"**

 **"** **No, Cas. I was being serious."** Dean dryly quipped.

Castiel thought for a moment, then his brows knitted together again and he gave Dean a helplessly baffled look.

 **"** **You're confusing him."** Sam chuckled before turning to the Angel. **"Cas, we need your help. We don't know what that girl is, but she just made a Demon smoke out by touching its meat-suit."**

 **"** **What girl?"** Cas questioned.

 **"** **The girl right-"** Dean and Sam turned to the side to reveal the blonde, but she was nowhere to be found. The woman who was possessed was still lying motionless on the ground, but there was no sign of the blonde anywhere.

Cas filled the space between the Winchesters and asked, **"Did you mean 'who' the girl is?"**

 **"** **No, he meant 'what.' She's probably from upstairs, maybe an Angel."** Dean answered as Sam went to the wall where the blonde was and felt around for any loose bricks or possibly some kind of hidden door.

 **"** **In literal terms or in a flattering tense?"** Cas asked and Dean turned to him. This time, Dean couldn't stop his eyes from rolling as he looked at the Angel. **"Dean, were you trying to have intercourse with this female?"**

 **"** **Cas-"**

 **"** **Because, though personal experience, I've learned that mysterious women found in alleyways tend to be prostitutes with various STDs and they'll ask for money in exchange for sexual acts."** Castiel continued prattling on and Dean didn't try to stop him again; Sam was making his way back over to the pair. **"Not only is the entire process illegal, but the risk of transmitting a venereal disease is extremely high. I understand your need for intimacy, but I strongly advise against perusing coitus with prostitutes. I wouldn't want you to contract anything that makes your phallus experience a constant burning sensation."**

 **"** **Cas, go investigate** ** _over there_** **,"** Dean waved his arm in the direction of where the blonde was before she vanished. **"And see if you can pick up something on your Angel Radar about that girl."**

With a nod, Castiel began inspecting the small area for anything that couldn't be seen from the Human eye. Sam stopped next to his brother as he was shaking his head at the Angel.

 **"** **He cares about your phallus, Dean."** Sam couldn't help but tease with an impish smile. **"He understands your need for intimacy."**

 **"** **Sam, so help me God, I will climb up there stab you in the throat."** Dean earnestly threatened, but Sam just laughed at him. **"I should do it anyway because it's your fault that girl got away."**

Sam lost his smile and looked at his brother like he was insane **. "How was that** ** _my_** **fault?"**

 **"** **You should've been watching her."**

 **"** **Why weren't** ** _you_** **watching her?"**

 ** _"_** **She** ** _shot me._** **With** ** _a bullet_** **."** To emphasize, Dean pointed to his healed shoulder. Sam scoffed in return. **"What's your excuse? Oh, lemme guess. Your girlishly long hair was covering your eyes."**

 **"** **We had her pinned down in an alley with 30-foot brick walls behind and around her."** Sam pointed out. **"Unless she sprouted wings and flew away, I don't even understand how the hell she got away."**

 **"** **Maybe you'd know if you'd have kept your eyes on her."**

 **"** **And what's your excuse for not watching her? Oh, lemme guess. You were too busy giving Cas the bedroom eyes."**

Dean glared at Sam for a minute, momentarily stunned into silence. When he saw Sam smirking, he scowled at him. **"Screw you."**

 **"** **Sam, Dean."** Castiel called from a few feet away. He was looking down at something near the wall the blonde had her back to as brothers made their way over to him. **"I was able to detect a small amount of residue from whatever you saw. There was some kind of being here and it was housing something very powerful."**

 **"** **Demons can possess Angels?"** Sam asked. **"Or rather, just jump in an Angel's Vessel while the Angel's still in there?"**

 **"** **That theory worries me…a lot."** Castiel admitted, nervously eyeing Sam.

Dean sent a hard smack, that was just a tad of force away from a punch, to Sam's shoulder. Sam stifled a yelp, but glared at his brother. **"That's for scaring him."** He scolded.

 **"** **Jerk."** Sam grouched as he rubbed his arm.

 **"** **Bitch."**

 **"** **Whatever was here, it was the Vessel of something as omnipotent as an Archangel, possibly even stronger."** Castiel summarized his earlier thought and the Winchesters lost their immature annoyance with one another to focus on him again.

Dean shot his brother a glare to signal that he didn't get to ask Cas another question until he felt like it was okay. **"That's possible?"**

 **"** **Apparently. There was only a small trace left of the being and it's faded. I couldn't examine it as thoroughly as I wanted."**

 **"** **Guess that's a negative on tracking her too?"** Castiel nodded at Dean, an apologetic look in his light eyes. **"That crosses off the Demon possibility. What the hell could that girl be?"**

Dean was working through all the monsters in his head, but he couldn't find one to fit the blonde. All he could think about was how power-hungry Witches could be and how they could attach all kinds of puissant energy to themselves or infuse it with them. Looking to Sam, he saw the question in his brother's eyes and nodded.

 **"** **Can a Nephilim be more powerful than an Archangel?"** Sam asked Castiel.

 **"** **Definitely not. One could probably kill an average Angel such as myself, but an Archangel could smite a Nephilim within seconds."** Castiel thought for a second, catching on to Sam's thought process. He was thinking of all the divine beings that were of Heaven's creation. **"There's a very limited list of beings that could harness such power, but none of them are allowed on Earth."**

 **"** **You thinking an Archangel? I thought they were all male."**

 **"** **If we're being technical, Angels are genderless."** Castiel mumbled to Sam, still thinking. **"Michael is the viceroy of Heaven, but he's too busy keeping everything in order to come to Earth, unless Dean consents to his possession."**

 **"** **Which is never gonna happen."** Dean chimed.

 **"** **Lucifer is obviously hiding on Earth, but he's already obtained a male Vessel."** Castiel continued. **"Raphael prefers Heaven to Earth, so he wouldn't come here for no reason."**

Castiel let out a little frustrated sigh. If there were only a limited amount of divine beings that could be as powerful as whatever he sensed, it shouldn't be difficult to figure out what they were looking for.

 **"** **Hold on, there's four Archangels."** Sam recalled, noticing that one was missing from the few Castiel listed. **"What about Gabriel, the Messenger of God?"**

Castiel didn't answer Sam. He simply stared at the ground, but unknown to the Winchesters, memories were replaying in his mind. Joyous memories from when Heaven was the beautiful place he called home and Angels never needed to be reminded of what their indefinite mission was.

Memories of one Archangel coaxing a tiny Castiel to spread his raven wings and have pride in them.

 **"** **Gabriel is…he's been missing from Heaven for a long time. Nobody's seen or heard from him. The others think he's dead**. **"** Castiel's words were automatic, robotic even. It sounded like he's been asked a certain question a million times and had a reflexive answer for it. Dean didn't like it and the Angel could sense it. He changed the subject before Dean could ask if he was alright. **"There's nothing in Heaven higher or more powerful than the Archangels…except…"**

 **"** **What, God? You think your Dad's running around on Earth as a teenage girl?"** Dean offered and Cas shrugged. He wouldn't pass off the possibility because his Father could be anyone or anything on this planet. **"I don't know if that's creepy or kinky."**

 **"** **Dean, remember what we talked about?"** Sam spoke to his brother like he was talking to a kindergartner or worse, a recently defrosted caveman. **"Porn is on the TV and Internet. We're in reality now, no porn."**

 **"** **Eat me, Rapunzel."** Dean fired back, smirking when Sam glared at him.

 **"** **You** ** _are not_** **gonna start calling me that."**

 **"** **News flash, you rejected hippie: The 60s are long gone. Men don't walk around with flaxen locks as long as their ass anymore."**

 **"** **Says the guy who still has a cassette player in his car."**

Dean pointed a finger at Sam as if warning him not to take another step into personal territory. **"You keep my Baby outta this."**

 **"** **If it's any condolence, I like your hair at its current length, Sam."** Castiel intervened, looking at Sam's hair with affection before turning to the other brother. He smiled at him. **"And, Dean, I've come to enjoy the songs that come from Baby, even when they speak of transgressing, Hell, sex and drug use."**

Before either brother could comment on Castiel's praise, they heard a groan and turned to the end of the alleyway. They'd all forgotten about the recently exorcised woman, but she was getting into a sitting position with her hand on her head.

She looked around, then to the trio of men behind her. Sam walked over and kneeled next to her, his fake badge in hand. **"Where am I? What's going on?"**

 **"** **It's okay. We're FBI Agents. Someone tried to mug you and we managed to scare them off."** He easily lied as he showed the woman his badge. She seemed to believe him because she nodded. **"Can you tell me what you remember?"**

 **"** **I came into town to do some shopping. I stopped for something to eat at Rummy's, went to the bathroom, then I just blacked out and…now I'm here."**

 **"** **While you were in the bathroom, do you remember seeing anything strange? Maybe you smelled something that smelled like rotten eggs?"**

Rummy's was the diner they found the blonde at and the Demon had been there too. Sam wondered if the diner was some kind of Demon hangout spot. If it was, he wondered why more Demons hadn't tried to ambush he and his brother or at least kidnap him to bring him to Lucifer.

The woman thought for a minute and Sam patiently waited. After going through her thoughts, the noirette slowly nodded. **"Yeah…yeah, I did. I thought it was just one of the stalls or something."**

Sam nodded at the woman's words, extending his hand to help her up. **"We're gonna get you home. What's your name?"**

 **"** **Rebecka."** She told him as he pulled her on her feet.

Castiel had disappeared before they got into Baby, saying that he wanted to check to see if he could find a being that was second-best to an Archangel. The brothers drove Rebecka to her house and Sam had cooked up another lie about it raining when Rebecka asked why her clothes were wet.

When they arrived at Rebecca's house, Dean gave her his contact card and told her to give him a ring if anything strange happened or she felt like she wasn't safe. He made sure she knew that he was interested by giving her one of his charming smiles and he watched with pride as she blushed.

 **"** **She** ** _just_** **got a Demon exorcised out of her."** Sam commented as Rebecka was walking the path to her house.

 **"** **And that's exactly why she needs something nice and warm and Human to fill her up."** Dean slyly replied, smirking at his brother as they pulled off.

Sam shook his head. **"You're gonna catch something one day."**

Rebecka reached her front door as the Impala cruised down the street. She felt around her dampish pockets for her keys, but something else was in there too. She pulled it out and raised an eyebrow at the blonde doll in her hand.

The doll was too detailed to be another run-of-the-mill MyScene or Barbie brand doll, but it was too small to be made by Doll Marchѐ. It was as if someone had crafted an exact replica of a Human girl, but in doll form. Rebecka didn't know where the thing came from, but she didn't have any use for it. It's not like she had any kids or a collection of dolls.

Rebecka walked back down the concrete path leading to her house and to the green, 50-gallon garbage container on the curb. She set the doll on the lid with the thought that the garbage collectors or someone passing by would decide to take the doll. She dug in her pockets again and found her keys this time. She just wanted to get her life back to normal and the way to start that was with a hot bath and something to eat. She was starving.

By the time Rebecka had unlocked her front door, the doll had grown back to its Human-size and slid off the lid of the trashcan, dusting her pink skirt off. She looked down either way of the street, recognized where she was and began walking out of the neighborhood in the direction of Rummy's. From here, it'd be about 20 minutes away.

After a few steps, she reached into her pockets in search of her phone and pulled it out. Scrolling through her contacts, she quickly found the name with a string of lovey emoticons next to it and tapped the green 'Call' button. After the second ring, the line clicked and she was sweetly greeted.

 **"** **Hey, Jude."** She smiled. **"Think you could pick me up at Rummy's?"**


	3. Baby, I'm Preying On You Tonight

_Update: I decided to split this into 2 chapters because it's hella long_

* * *

Dean was leaning on Baby as he watched Sam finish talking to the college girl with bottle-green eyes and milk chocolate-brown hair. They've spent most of the morning talking to the friends and family of the victims.

Sam suggested they started at the college because Trenton was bound to have a lot of friends and there were more people there that could give them different perspectives on the guy, but that was hardly the case. All of Trenton's friends, teammates and professors said the same thing. Trenton was probably the dimmest bulb in the box, but he was a nice guy that loved wrestling. Everyone on campus knew of him and it seemed as though he didn't have a single enemy, not even a spiteful ex-girlfriend.

Trenton's widowed girlfriend, Victoria, was taking his death pretty hard. She's been giving them any information that could help, but she was constantly crying and one time, she even latched on to Dean to sob into his chest. He consoled her as best he could, gave her a tissue and pat her back. That was the reason he was outside now. His shirt had become the victim of Victoria's running makeup and he changed into a new one just as Sam had finished talking with her.

He watched as Sam gave Victoria his card and he must've expressed some sort of sympathy for her loss because Victoria began bawling again. Like she did to Dean, she smashed her face into Sam's shirt and sobbed. It took a little more effort to pry her off, but Sam managed to detach and he walked to the car. Dean snickered when he saw the makeup stain on his brother's shirt and Sam let out a little groan before going to the trunk in search of a new one.

 **"** **We should stop by the station to see what came up."** Sam told Dean as he buttoning up his new baby-blue dress shirt in the backseat. He reached for his black tie on the floor, then climbed into the passenger seat. **"Soon as it's dark out, we can go looking in the woods for our Werewolf."**

 **"** **Someone's had to see this damn thing before."** Dean grumbled and Sam huffed at his brother's impatience.

Before they knocked on Victoria's door, an officer from Tucson PD had called them about another attack that happened sometime around midnight. It fit the profile of the previous murders too. While they were visiting the Ranger's Station yesterday, after dropping Rebecka off, Sam asked about those motion-activated cameras and was disappointed to hear that there weren't any. The blonde Ranger-woman told he and his brother that the cameras would scare the animals living in the forest or they'd break them and get hurt. She also told them the same thing she told the police, that the woodlands were where lots of people came to run the nature trails, but they were still homes to wildlife who were getting territorial around this time because it was mating season.

Sam and Dean didn't know if one of the officers or the Ranger-woman was lying about what was really going on, but another body dropped and it felt like they were still at square one.

Dean was driving them down the sunny streets of Tucson and they passed Rummy's on the way. They saw Suzanne clearing a table near the window and Dean honked twice. Suzie heard it, smiled and sent a wave to the boys. They investigated the diner before turning in yesterday night and were relieved to find that it wasn't a demonic hangout.

Dean was still driving while Sam was phoning someone. He must've been going through a list of numbers because he left a voicemail for a few, but had a short chat with one that gave him a new number. Stopping at a red light, Dean scanned his surroundings and looked at as many people as he could. He was looking for someone with a predatory look in their eyes or maybe he'd spot some blood on a shirt. His attention was pulled to his side mirror and a blue figure getting closer to the car.

Dean slid down in his seat and yanked Sam under the window by his shoulder. He shushed Sam before he could say something, waited a minute, then peeked out of the window. He pointed to the aquamarine beach cruiser and the blonde riding it, ignoring the impatiently honking cars behind him.

 **"Isn't that the girl from the alley?"**

Sam stared at the girl on the bike and when she looked both ways for oncoming traffic, he got to see her face. He nodded to his brother. **"Think she lives nearby?"**

 **"** **We're about to find out."**

Dean kept three cars separating his from the blonde as he trailed her. She was wearing a gray shirt-dress and there was a sun-bleached denim jacket tied around her waist. Coral-pink, chunky heeled boots were on her feet and whenever she turned to look for oncoming cars, Dean noticed the matching pink flower on the right side of her head.

They followed the girl for another 10 minutes and she stopped at a large building. She pushed her bicycle onto the sidewalk and to a bike rack. Dean parked across the street. He and Sam watched the blonde take a colorful bouquet of flowers out of her bike's basket and went into the Hope Garden Senior Community.

 **"** **What kinda monster goes to an old folk's home with flowers?"** Dean questioned, an eyebrow suspiciously raised at the building.

 **"** **Maybe she's looking for easy prey."** Sam suggested.

 **"** **Or she wants a sponge bath."** Sam huffed at his brother's joke and Dean smirked. **"Think she's our she-wolf? She's the only recurring person we've seen since we got here."**

Sam thought about his brother's reasoning for a moment and the possibility of the blonde indeed being a Werewolf, but he shook his head. He remembered what she did yesterday and how that Demon reacted to her.

 **"** **Doubt it. That wouldn't explain how she exorcised that Demon. Werewolves don't tamper with magic. And it wouldn't explain what Cas said either."**

 **"** **Alright, so we can cross off Demons possessing Werewolves. Now, we've got someone from the God Squad or a hyped-up Witch from the Dark Ages and a starter pack to deal with."**

Sam could sense the lack of enthusiasm in his brother's voice and he cocked an eyebrow at it. Dean's favorite monsters to hunt were usually Vampires and Werewolves because not only did they slaughter people, but they had the ability to spread their disease and infect others. The more Vampire heads hacked off and Werewolf hearts that had a silver in them made Dean a very happy man.

 **"** **We've had worse?"** Sam offered and Dean turned to his brother just so he could see his eyes roll. **"You wanna be a stalker or go see the newest crime scene?"**

 **"** **I'll take the crime scene. Maybe I can find a cabin or something in the woods the Werewolves are using as a home."**

Sam nodded and unbuckled his seat-belt. He just pulled the handle to open the door when Dean grabbed his shoulder. **"If you hook up with that…whatever she is or so much as kiss her, I will disown your ass, Samuel."** Dean said sternly.

 **"** **It's** ** _Sam_** **."** His brother bit back and got out of the car to cross the street.

As Sam was walking to the entrance of the Senior care facility, he noticed a car riding beside him. He looked at Dean like he was crazy, but the older Winchester brother just rolled his window down and partially stuck his head out

 **"** **Don't come crying to me when she turns your joystick into a frog!"** He warned as Sam was opening one of the glass doors.

Sam stopped to sigh and prayed nobody heard what Dean said. When he looked behind him, he was relieved to see that Dean had drove off and he went to the receptionist's desk with his badge in hand.

Sam told the secretary that he was there to question one of the elderly residents about their children's involvement in a case he was on. He ensured the brunet that nobody was in trouble or in danger, but there was an ongoing investigation and he just needed to ask a few questions. The brunet had given him a clip-on keycard pass to let him go through the senior center without any problems.

Sam was walking the pristine halls of the senior home and he was constantly being stopped by the elder women. Some of them told him that he reminded him of their sons or grandsons and others mistook him for their deceased husbands. Sam was smiling at all the attention from the sweet women, but he kept reminding himself that he had to find that blonde.

Sam made his way through the center until he found the common area where most of the residents were. Casement windows were on every wall and the shades were pulled to the side to allow the sunlight to brighten the room. There was a big TV and a long sofa for everyone to watch. _Family Feud_ was on the screen now. The episodes from 1976 were playing and Richard Dawson was greeting the families with kisses to the women and handshakes for the men. There were tables scattered around with coloring books, board games, cards, dominoes or mahjong on the tops and the players were laughing among each other. Comfy armchairs were holding some of the residents or caretakers whose fingers were nimbly crocheting or knitting away at the colorful balls of strings in baskets at their feet. Everyone here seemed happy.

Sam's attention was drawn to another side of the room when he heard a wordless song begin to play. A gramophone with a shining, gilded horn was playing Terry Devine-King's _Canes and Spats_ and some of the senior folks were getting up to dance as if they were in 1922. At that moment, all Sam could think about was _The Great Gatsby_ and he smiled at the scene. He noticed a familiar head of blonde hair and tried to stay out of her sight as the girl he was looking for began dancing with an elderly man.

He watched the older people on the sofa join in on the dancing, which was beginning to look like some kind of vintage prom, and he politely declined the offers of the mature women asking for his hand in a dance. He watched as the blonde danced with a few more people, then some of the caretakers were announcing that it was lunchtime and they were herding the elderly into the cafeteria.

Sam followed the girl down some halls until she pushed open a door that led to the center's spacious backyard. It was about the size of a park and there were concrete paths leading everywhere. The space was decorated with colorful flowers, shady trees, wicker chairs around tables, a few birdbaths and stone benches. She sat down at one of the benches under a tree and seemed to be waiting for someone.

After another few minutes, Sam spotted a guy walking one of the paths towards her. He looked to be an even 6 feet tall and even under the hoodie, it was plain to see he had a muscular build. What would be ear–length, ashy-golden hair was combed back and either side was buzzed in a taper cut style. Other than a few rebellious strands of hair, nothing was concealing his mint-green eyes. He was lazily puffing on a cigarette and one hand was stuffed into his jacket's pocket as he made his way over to the girl. She looked over her shoulder at him before he sat down and smiled.

 **"** **Hey, Jude."** She sweetly greeted him and gave him a peck on the cheek. The corners of Sam's lips threatened to twitch into a frown at the gesture. ** _"Don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better."_**

 **"** **Every time you see me? Seriously, Vega*?"** Jude asked with a tired tone, though he was smiling at Vega as he sat next to her. His arm came around her shoulders.

 **"** **I can't help it. You're the only Jude I've ever known and that's my favorite song."** She giggled. Jude huffed in response, but turned his head away from her to blow the smoke out of his mouth and when he looked back at her, she was giving him a disapproving look. With a small sigh, he took the cigarette from his lips and stubbed it out on the stone bench. **"Have you heard about the animal attacks? There was another one last night. Cops are saying a Coyote did it."**

Jude nodded. **"Sounded pretty cool to me."**

 **"** **That's scary."**

 **"** **Come on, admit it. That was kinda cool."** Jude reasoned, but Vega's unimpressed and slightly worried expression remained. **"Coyotes are like the cousins of Wolves. I heard the guy that got offed last night had a loaded rifle. A lone Coyote taking down a fully-grown man with a gun all by itself? That takes a lot of strength and endurance."**

 **"** **Innocent people died."** She told him, her eyebrows pulled together in concern.

 **"** **They probably provoked it and got what was coming to them."** When Jude said that, Vega gasped as if she were horrified by the words that came out of his mouth. Jude must've realized she wasn't taking the recent murders as lightly as he was because a look of remorse overcame his features. His free hand intertwined with hers and she peeked at him from under her lashes. **"I'm sorry if I scared you. I know you don't like hearing stuff like that."**

Sam's attention was pulled away from the window he was watching the couple out of and down to his pocket as his phone buzzed.

 **"** **Dean?"**

 ** _"_** ** _I'm at the- hold on."_** Dean must've put his phone down, but Sam still heard the slightly distant sound of growling. He heard a few punches landing, more growling and some grunts. **_"Bad dog! Stay down, you son of a bitch!"_**

 **"** **Dean, what's going on?"** Sam asked with concern upon hearing the commotion. When he didn't get an immediate reply and he still heard the ruckus, his worry increased, but he heard the phone move.

 ** _"_** ** _Housebreaking. I'm fine, Sam."_** Dean answered and Sam let out a little sigh. _**"When I got to the crime scene, these two guys were here. Kinda looked like they were gonna mess with the body. They attacked, I pulled some silver, yadda yadda. One's dead and...the other one's gonna strangle himself if he doesn't calm the fuck down! I'll make you swallow silver, you furry ass-biter!"**_

Sam shook his head, envisioning a Werewolf being chained up somewhere. **"Dean, stop cursing at the werewolf."**

 ** _"_** ** _He started it."_** Was his brother's childish defense. ** _"Anything new with the girl?"_**

 **"** **Not really. She just finished up at the Senior Center and I haven't heard any flat-line alerts since she's been in there. No sign of Hex bags, sigils or anything cult-ish."**

 ** _"_** ** _Still got eyes on her?"_**

 **"** **Yeah, she's with her boyfriend."** Sam glanced out of the window again and saw Vega dusting her dress off. Jude was already standing and he took her hand as they walked down a path leading away from the building. **"Looks like they're heading out."**

 ** _"_** ** _I'm gonna see if I can get Marmaduke to tell me where his owner is. Keep trailing her."_**

With an affirmative, Sam hung up the phone and stepped outside. He took the same path that Jude and Vega did, coming across a locked gate that must've bordered the center's backyard. He swiped his keycard to be let out and took a guess as to the direction Vega and Jude had gone, but he noticed how much time had passed since they left Victoria's house. They were talking to some of the other victim's families and Trenton's friends at the college all morning, then with Victoria for another hour or so and it was nearing the late afternoon now.

Sam was walking past an alleyway disconnecting a pizzeria and a burger joint when something grabbed him from the darkness and shoved him into the hard, brick wall. He took a second to realize what the hell was going on and standing before him was Vega. She untied her jacket and was wearing it now. And she had yet another compact pistol in her hands, but they weren't shaking this time.

Vega was far enough away that Sam, even with his long limbs, couldn't try to take her gun and the pistol, he didn't know if it was another BB gun, was aimed on his kneecap to prevent him from exposing his own gun. At least she took some good advice from his brother.

 **"** **Why are you following me?"** She demanded.

 **"** **I'm not."** Sam lied, mindful to keep his hands where she could see them. He briefly wondered where Jude was, but decided that he didn't care.

 **"** **I saw you at the Senior Center and when I was with Jude. Not to mention, you cornered me in an alley with the stripper yesterday."** She dispelled his lie with narrowed eyes. He wasn't sure why, but he felt flattered knowing that she pegged him as the Levi's model. **"Who the hell are you?"**

 **"** **I'm an FBI Agent. I'm undercover. My badge is in my pocket. I'm gonna take it out, okay? Don't shoot."**

The distrust in Vega's eyes never left, but she allowed Sam to slowly open his suit's jacket and watch as he pulled his badge from the pocket. He held it out to her and she snatched it from his hand, taking a step back. She flipped it open and looked between the picture on the license to his face.

 **"** **Steven Tyler. Really, dude?"** She cocked an eyebrow and scoffed, tossing his badge at his chest. **"Next time you wanna lie, don't use the name of the guy who sings the only Aerosmith song I know."**

Sam made a mental note to stop allowing Dean to make their fake badges because if they came across a fan of the band members he often used as their aliases, this would happen again and it was going to get one of them killed.

 **"** **Who are you?"** Vega pulled the hammer back on the pistol, the gun making that blood-chilling sound. Due to the hardened look in her eyes that said she was fed up with his tricks, Sam nervously wondered if she upgraded to a real gun and would shoot him. **"And no lying."**

Without much of a choice, Sam had to tell her the truth. **"My name is Sam Winchester."**

 **"** **Like the gun?"** She inquired and Sam nodded.

 **"** **You're Vega, right?"** Sam asked gently, trying to show that he wasn't going to hurt her. She still seemed cautious and distrustful.

 **"** **What do you want with me?"**

 **"** **Are you a Witch?"** At that question, Vega's expression dropped like the other shoe falling. Sam was worried that he'd pushed the wrong button, but he saw her brow raise.

 **"** **Notice the lack of green skin, warty face, cackling laugh** **and** **broomstick."** Vega pointed the gun to various points of her body as she snarked at Sam. He smiled a little. **"What kinda creep goes around stalking people just because he thinks they're Witches?"**

 **"** **This creep, apparently."** He gave her a full smile this time and she smirked at him. She lowered the gun to her side, but it was still tight in her grip. **"This is gonna sound a little strange, but I need you to touch something for me."**

Sam felt the second the playful mood died and wished he would've worded his last sentence better. Vega got defensive again. She raised the gun to his crotch and Sam panicked, fearing for the safety of his manhood.

 **"** **No, no! Not like that!"** Slowly, he reached into his pants pocket for one of the pure silver utensils he's been carrying for this case. He showed her the fork with one hand and kept the other covering his tool, just in case. **"See? It's a fork, nothing weird. Just hold it. Please?"**

Vega didn't move for a moment, seeming to be scanning Sam for any signs that he was actually some kind of pervert. She positioned the aim of her gun to his head as she inched closer and grabbed the fork. Sam's eyes were locked on her hand, but he heard no sizzling of flesh and she didn't growl or drop the fork. She held it and even twirled it around in her hand to see if there was anything special about it.

Vega returned the utensil back to Sam, who was radiating waves of relief upon the conformation that she wasn't a Werewolf or a Skinwalker, for that matter. The last thing he and his brother needed was another monster in town when they haven't caught the Werewolves yet.

 **"** **Why did you want me to hold the fork?"** She asked, clearly confused about his request. **"To each his own, but…do you…get off on that or something?"**

 **"** **No, I don't. I'm not a nutcase, I promise."** Sam ensured her. **"I'm a Hunter, but not the kind you're thinking of. I hunt monsters with my brother. We think there's a Werewolf around here that's responsible for those recent murders. When a Werewolf comes into contact with pure silver, it hurts them."**

 **"** **So, you thought I was a Werewolf** ** _and_** **a Witch? A Were-witch?"** Vega accused, but Sam detected the playful sarcasm in her tone. She sounded like Dean did with the Were-mon and that made Sam smile. **"Well, knowing that there's probably a Werewolf lurking around these parts, I'm gonna be skipping town tonight. And buying a baseball bat made of silver."**

That sounded like a good idea to Sam, especially that baseball bat, but his brows furrowed in confusion.

Why wasn't Vega freaking out and calling him crazy like most people did when he or his brother told them that monsters were real? She seemed to be fine with hearing the news, like it was nothing new to her. Sam wondered if the girl was a Hunter herself, but most Hunters know the reputation he and his brother held by their names. She could be a newbie, but that wouldn't explain how she expelled that Demon in the alley yesterday or how she managed to slip away when there was nowhere for her to go. It did explain why she wasn't panicking though. If she knew of Demons, maybe she was learning about other monsters and was on her first hunt.

 **"** **Sorry about the gunpoint thing."** Vega interrupted Sam's thoughts and he watched her conceal her compact pistol. The holster must've been strapped around her thigh because she slightly lifted the end of her dress and Sam was all but drooling at the newly revealed skin.

 **"** **Don't worry about it."** He said lowly, clearing his throat. It was harder than it should've been, but he tore his eyes away from Vega's leg and up to the darkening sky. **"You should get home. Werewolves start hunting at night."**

 **"** **Yeah, I'm** ** _so_** **bailing tomorrow morning."** Vega told him with a shake of her head.

Sam had one of his contact cards in his hand and he gave it to her. **"If anything strange happens, doesn't matter what time, give me a call."**

 **"** **Good luck on your Were-witch hunt, Sam."** She wished him good luck and gave him a sweet smile, then turned to exit the alleyway.

When Sam was on the sidewalk again, he scanned the streets, but he didn't see Vega's receding figure anywhere.

* * *

Vega  
Latin-America name meaning: 'falling star'

* * *

Thanks to **LostWithinTheLyrics** , **Savily** and **Guest** for your encouraging Reviews and to those who Fav and Followed!


	4. Sensitive, Yet Violent Fools

After meeting up with Dean, the brothers burned the pair of Werewolves Dean came across when he went to investigate the new crime-scene. He told Sam that he was certain they found who was responsible for the murders and that Tucson was rid of its pest problem. When asked about how Sam's stalking session had gone, the younger Winchester said that he lost sight of the blonde at the Senior Center, but that they needn't worry about her.

Dean was driving to their motel now. All the lodgings in Tucson were a little too costly for their budget, so they checked into one on the outskirts of the city. The car was silent as Dean focused on driving and Sam was mute in the passenger seat.

He wondering why didn't he ask Vega what she was. He had the chance, yet he didn't take it. He realized that he was enjoying talking to her and that he just wanted her to be safe. Asking vital questions that he needed to know the answers to just seemed like the most unimportant thing to him. And he lied to Dean about Vega giving him the slip. He felt like Dean _shouldn't_ know about their encounter in the alley, but he didn't understand why. What the hell was going on?

Sam knew that Dean must've noticed how he was blankly staring ahead and how quiet he was, but his brother probably passed it off as him thinking about the case. Sam wanted to keep it that way too. He didn't want Dean grilling him, especially not about Vega.

Hearing his phone vibrating on the dashboard, Sam blinked out of his trance and reached forward.

 **"** **Agent Tyler."** He answered, guessing it was a friend or family member of one of the victims or an officer from the Tucson Police Department. His reply was a hysterical voice chattering on like a madwoman in his ear. **"Wait, just...I can't…hold on, just calm down, okay? Take a deep breath."**

From the driver's seat, Dean arched an eyebrow in interest.

 **"** **Alright, now tell me what's going on."** Sam instructed, his tone lulling and coated in warm honey. **"Yeah, I remember him…okay…yeah…he came to your house? Did he hurt you or-…you- wait, you did** ** _what_** **?"**

This time, Dean looked over at his brother when he heard whomever was on the other end of the phone's voice. He couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, but from how Sam was trying to pacify things, it was probably a female or a kid.

 **"** **Wait, we're being calm, remember? Just stay calm."** Dean snorted at that and Sam threw him a sideways glare. To him, Sam sounded like some yoga instructor with a man bun.

It took all of 2 minutes for Sam to get his caller to settle down and after they said something else to him, he asked if they got hurt. He must've gotten a negative because he let out a small sigh of relief.

 **"** **I'm gonna walk you through this. First, tell me if he's awake...okay, I'm gonna need you to check to see if he's still breathing…yes, you have to touch him."** Sam paused and Dean discreetly leaned over in an attempt to eavesdrop, but he couldn't hear anything. After another beat of silence, Sam's eyebrows raised in indication that his caller was back on the line. **"I'm here…he is? Okay, tell me exactly what happened when you hit him with the bat."**

 **"** **The hell is going on?"** Dean asked, curious about who was talking on the other end. He even slowed down.

Sam held a finger up to his brother as he listened to the caller. The car was silent for a solid minute, but based on Sam's expression, Dean knew something wasn't right.

 **"** **Where are you?"** Sam asked. When he got a response he pulled a marker out of the cup-holder and sloppily scribbled something on his palm. **"Keep him chained up. We'll be there as soon as we can."** Sam flipped his phone shut and sent a pat to Dean's arm. **"Turn around."** He instructed as was rewriting the address down in his notepad.

 **"** **What, why?"** Even though he was questioning his brother, Dean pulled a U-turn and was headed back to Tucson. They weren't too far out and with how fast he was driving, it'd take about 20 minutes to get back to town.

 **"** **Apparently, we missed one. That girl we thought was a Witch or a Werewolf-"**

 **"** **A Were-witch. Furry** ** _and_** **skeevy. Ugh."** Dean shuddered, interrupting Sam's explanation.

 **"** **Or a whatever, says she's got another one chained up at her house."** Sam finished and passed the legible address to his brother. **"I thought you said the other one was alone."**

 **"** **He did. When I got to the crime-scene with those two, the last one said he and the first fleabag weren't related or in a pack or anything, just passing through. Maybe they would've started a pack, who knows? He sounded pretty damn convincing to me."**

Dean didn't say anything else and Sam didn't question his brother further. He knew Dean was scolding himself for not being as thorough and he could tell that he was irritated. Sam was right too.

Dean knew that if John were still alive and he found out that Dean just up and left a case without making sure each and every lose end was tied, he'd blow a fuse. And that'd just be John pissed about the case. After that, his Dad would've been absolutely _furious_ about Dean endangering Sam's life. He would've said something about any leftover Werewolves tracking Dean by his scent and mauling Sam. Or worse, turning him and making him kill his brother as payback for what Dean did.

If Dean was being honest with himself, he wanted to get away from Tucson as soon as possible because he didn't like how he caught Sam gazing at that little blonde from Rummy's, how she vanished into thin air _twice_ or how Castiel couldn't figure out what was left behind by that omnipotent being.

And the main reason he wanted to put at least five States between himself and Arizona, why he would've sacrificed taking a trip to the Grand Canyon with his brother, was that he didn't like how that same mysterious blonde made him feel.

Dean felt like he had to protect her the second he laid eyes on her. He wanted to gank that Demon so badly because it wanted something from her and he didn't want any demonic filth polluting the very air the blonde had to breathe. He didn't know where those feelings were coming from, but he didn't like them at all.

Dean drove back to Tucson and to the address Sam had given him. In this neighborhood, none of the houses were connected or even shared the same fence. Each home had their own space and was evenly distanced from its neighbor. The address Sam wrote down belonged to a cottage-like house and there were colorful, blooming flowers bordering the brick pathway leading from the sidewalk to the open porch.

The brothers piled out of the car, Dean having their duffle full of weapons on his shoulder, and quickly reached the porch. Sam barely knocked once before the door was flung open and Vega was desperately clutching a bat, ready to swing.

 **"** **Whoa, hey! Easy there, Babe Ruth."** Dean threw his hands up, having jerked back a step with Sam.

 **"** **Touch the bat."** She held the silver club out to the brothers, her eyes a bit wild. When neither moved, she demanded, **"Touch it!"**

Not wanting to give her any reason to start swinging, Sam and Dean placed their hands on the silver bat and Vega sighed in relief. She waved them into her house and locked the door behind them, leaning on it.

 **"** **How're you holdin' up?"** Sam asked, concerned about the state she was in.

She looked like she was ready for bed because she was dressed in baggy, grey sweatpants and a white tank-top printed with all kinds of colorful candies. Her head was in her hands, making Sam notice the purple bracelet around her right wrist, until he spoke, then she looked at him like he just grew a third arm.

 **"** **My** ** _Werewolf_** **ex-boyfriend is chained in my kitchen. I'm half-past freaking out!"** The distress in her voice was almost enough to make the brothers tense.

Regaining her grip on the bat, Vega led Sam and Dean through her romantically designed living room and into the kitchen. Unlike the living room, the kitchen had an Old World décor and sitting on the floor with his back to the island counter was Jude. He had a dog collar around his neck and there was a silver link-chain bounding him to what looked like a circular hook for towels. The brothers could hear his low growls and it had to be from the thick of wad torus-link chains wrapped around his wrists.

Jude looked like he was trying to pull his arms out, but he stopped to let out something of a whimpering growl of pain. He sniffed the air once, then his head shot up to Sam, Dean and Vega. He's manage to keep himself under some kind of control because the only part of his Werewolf side showing were his yellow eyes.

 **"** **Get away from her!"** Jude snarled, enraged by the close proximity of Sam and Dean to Vega.

Dean pointed to Vega's baseball bat. **"** **Can I borrow that?"**

She was still eyeing a fuming Jude, but she let Dean take the bat and he dropped his duffle on the tiled floor. He noticed the weight to bat, but went over to the freezer and grabbed an ice cube from the tray. He put the cube on the bat and watched as the ice quickly started to melt. It might not be 100% silver, but it was enough to do some damage.

Tossing the melting cube in the sink, Dean stalked over to Jude and for a split second, he reconsidered whacking the bat across the Werewolf's face like he planned to. Instead, he pressed the end of the bat into Jude's cheek and the monster screamed through clenched teeth.

 **"** **Keep quiet or it's going up your ass. Try me, wolf boy."** Dean warned.

Vega had started inching away from Dean and blindly placed herself in front of Sam's arm. Looking over her shoulder, she asked, **"What's wrong with him?"**

 **"** **Everything."** Sam gently grabbed Vega's arm to tug her back a few paces, just in case Dean got a little aggressive and started swinging that bat.

As soon as Sam touched Vega, a vicious roar came from Jude and he began fighting against his restraints, but the sturdy brass hook was keeping him from breaking free. He continued thrashing and bared his now carnassial teeth. **"** **Get your hands off her! I'll kill you!"**

Instinctively, Sam pulled his gun, loaded with silver bullets, and stepped in front of Vega, one arm sliding her behind his tall frame to act as a barrier between her and Jude.

 **"** **Dude, look at his teeth! That's so not normal…"** He heard the blonde whimper behind him.

 **"** **Sam, take her outta here for a minute. Make him calm down."** Dean advised and his brother nodded, ushering Vega out of the kitchen.

Once they were in the living room, Vega was restlessly pacing in front of the cream English sofa with rosy-pink throw pillows that Sam was sitting on.

 **"** **That's-That** ** _thing_** **in there is not Jude. Not my sweet and cuddly Jude."** Vega said, still zipping back and forth in front of Sam. He was watching her, patiently waiting for her to accept what was happening. **"Jude would never act like that, so…feral. Yeah, he was a little…possessive, I guess, but it was normal. It was him putting his arm around my shoulders or holding hands when we were in public. That's just PDA,** ** _normal_** **things that boyfriends do** ** _._** **It wasn't…Werewolf-y. He never stiffed me or anything."**

 **"** **He probably did, but you just didn't notice. If we're being honest, he probably has one of your shirts or something just to smell your scent when you're not with him."** Sam couldn't help but to start rattling off about Werewolves and their habits, how they shared animalistic traits with normal Wolves. **"Like regular Wolves, Werewolves tend to get cuddly and more affectionate to whomever they're courting when they're ready to get down to it."**

Sam stopped to look at Vega, expecting her to still be pacing, but she stopped. She was staring at Sam like he just dropped a bomb and he probably did.

 **"** **Has he asked to stay the night with you or you with him recently?"** He changed the subject.

 **"** **I stayed at his house yesterday** ** _._** **He was asking me to all week, so I thought he just missed me or something. I didn't wanna be alone after what happened with you guys, so I stayed."**

Vega stood there after explaining and Sam literally watched her skin pale a shade or so. He didn't mean to freak her out more than she already was. He stood and gently placed his hands on her shoulders, guiding her to sit next to him on the couch.

 **"** **I know this must be overwhelming, but I need you to stay calm and help us out, alright?"** He asked, using that same honeyed voice he did when they were on the phone, and Vega nodded. **"Jude's not the only Werewolf in town. We thought we got them all, but there must be a pack around here and they're being really sneaky. Do you know his friends or family, the people he's with the most?"**

Vega didn't answer instantly. She scanned her thoughts of all the people Jude's introduced her too and her eyes went wide when she realized the connection. **"His…he...he…I-I've been in their house and I've eaten with them a-and stayed over the weekend and babysat his little brother and- and- and-"**

Vega sounded like a broken record as she kept listing off all the things she's done with Jude's family, constantly getting tripped up on her and's because her hyperventilating was worsening.

Dean, overhearing Vega struggling for breath, rummaged around the kitchen in search of a brown bag. He found one, opened it and walked out of the kitchen to the couch were Sam was failing to calm the blonde, who was turning a shade of pink from all the excitement, down. Dean pushed the opening of the bag over her mouth to trap her excessive breaths **.**

Sam sent a look of appreciation to his brother and Dean nodded before returning to the kitchen. Vega had breathed into the bag a few times, each intake making her calm down. She took the bag from her lips and let out a shaky sigh. Sam's hand reached out to settle on her knee in an act of comfort as Vega was calming herself. She gave him a little nod to let her know she was okay.

 **"** **You know Jude's family?"** He asked gently.

 **"** **Y-Yeah…his entire** ** _Werewolf_** **family."** She panted.

 **"** **How many are there?"**

 **"** **There's…Logan's the oldest, then Randy, then, Drew, then Jude and the little one's Kelly."**

 **"** **Dean says he took out two of them and we've got Jude chained up, so there's only three out there."** Sam nodded to himself. It was still going to be a pain in the ass killing three pissed off Werewolves, but at least they were going to be preventing any more murders. **"What about their Dad?"**

Vega shook her head. **"They don't have a Dad. It's just Kira, their Mom."**

Back in the kitchen, Dean was standing a few inches in front of Jude with the baseball bat resting behind his neck and his arms dangling off it. The Werewolf had calmed down enough that he appeared Human, but was silent. Dean figure he was trying to hear what Vega and Sam were talking about.

 **"** **You should run while you can, Hunter."** Jude warned and Dean turned his head to look at Jude from the corner of his eye. He heard the chains rattle a little as Jude shifted. **"Mama's got her sons' scents on lockdown. She's probably on her way here right now."  
**

 **"** **Good, then she'll smell her dead sons all over me."** Dean smirked, turning to face Jude. **"Killed the first one pretty quick, wasn't much fun, but the other one? Oh, I had to dig in him a little, watched him squirm and scream."** He was still grinning at his taunts, seeing Jude's nose twitch in irritation, as he squatted before him, the baseball bat across his bent knees. He leaned in so Jude could hear each word. **"And when your bitch of a Mom gets here, I'm gonna bash her brains in."**

Jude lunged with a growl, the chain to the collar stopping him just a meter from touching Dean's nose. His eyes had morphed again and he teeth were threatening to change, a growl escaping every exhale. **"** **She's gonna tear you to shreds, rip your heart out."**

 **"** **I'm _trembling_." ** Dean quipped before standing. **"Riddle me this, Wolfenstein. What's with the sudden murder streak? Tucson's been pretty quiet, then bodies start droppin'."**

 **"** **I was the first of my pack to find a mate. Mama wanted me be to be nice and strong for my girl, show her that I could protect her, so she let me loose."** Jude watched as Dean began a short pace in front of him, but he could smell Vega getting closer. An evil smirk tugged at his lips. **"And if you and the Jolly Green Giant hadn't meddled, I'd have already turned her and I'd be taking her out on her first hunt. Bet she'd love the killing. She'd look so sexy with blood all over her face."**

There it was again, something striking that ancient chord deep within Dean. He was surprised that he held out on killing the hairy prick for the sake of getting information, but he felt like someone had just cut all the strings holding him back. His grip on the bat was so tight, it made his knuckles white and he intended to use every ounce of force when swinging it at Jude. He wanted to take his head off with one hit.

 **"** **Vega, please help me."** Jude helplessly yelped before Dean could swing. He looked to the entrance of the kitchen and saw the blonde there with Sam. **"They're gonna kill me. He just said he was gonna beat me to death with that bat."**

 **"** **Shut up."** Dean cautioned.

 **"** **He already killed Randy and Drew. They're gonna go after Kelly, make him suffer. He's just a little kid."** Jude continued to plea to Vega and Dean glanced at her. He saw the pity or concern in her eyes, but she was still wary. **"These guys are crazy strangers; you can't trust them."**

 **"** **And I can trust you after you lied to me for almost two years about being what you are?"** She countered.

 **"** **I was afraid of how you'd react. I thought I was protecting you."** Jude sighed and hung his head. When he lifted it to look at her again, he nailed the puppy-dog eyes better than Sam ever could. **"I love you, Vega. Please don't let them do this."**

Both brothers looked to the blonde. She simply stood there in shock at Jude's confession. Sam had to put a hand on her shoulder, which made Jude growl, for her to come back to reality.

 **"** **You're not really gonna…kill him…right?"** She asked Dean. Her voice was soft and almost as whisper, as if she didn't want to think about the possibility. **"There's gotta be a cure or something to change him back into a full Human."**

 **"** **Even if there was a cure, it wouldn't matter. The Shaggy Dog here is a pedigree Werewolf. He was born like this and he's the one responsible for all those murders, little shit admitted it."** Dean sneered at Jude, wanting nothing more than to crack him in the head with the bat for lying to Vega. **"Once they get a Human heart in their system, that's it. It's like a drug, gotta keep getting fix after fix."**

 **"** **Can't we just…I dunno, keep him chained up and give him cow hearts or something? Like a rehab for Werewolves."**

 **"** **The only thing we're gonna do is load up on silver bullets to put down one pissed-off bitch."** Dean declared, closing the door on any nonlethal possibilities. He went to Vega and handed her the bat. **"And you get to keep this just in case they get too close."**

Dean went into the living room to retrieve some weapons from their duffle while Sam remained with Vega. He saw how her shoulders were slumped and her head was down as she fiddled with the hem of her tank. He would've moved to comfort her, but he didn't get the chance to.

 **"** **Mama! Logan!"** Jude screamed at the top of his lungs, making Sam pull Vega behind him as he aimed his gun on Jude.

Suddenly, there was a powerful banging at the front door that lured Sam and Vega to investigate. Dean already had his pistol aimed and there was a silver knife in his other hand. With another mighty bang, the front door was busted open and two figures were standing in the night.

 **"** **You should've stopped meddling, Agent Slade."** A woman spoke before stepping into the light of the house with her male companion.

The woman was a butterscotch-blonde with piercing steel-blue eyes. Sam remembered those eyes, but it took him a second to recognize the woman without her uniform. That was the Ranger they talked to yesterday, the one who told them and the police that the animals were responsible for the recent murders. She told them her name was Emily, but it was really Kira. She worked as a Forest Ranger and she knew when people ran the nature trails at night. She probably called Jude for a meal when it was dark out and told her other sons to make it look like a Black Bear or Coyote was responsible. Her job made it easy to hunt.

Sam didn't recognize the man next to Kira, but they were almost the same height. He had short black hair and his wolf-like, yellow eyes were on display. He only wore a black tank and jeans, displaying his strength.

 **"** **You let that little fleabag murder four innocent people."** Dean spat at Kira and she smiled at him like she did nothing wrong.

 **"** **A good mother knows when to give praise and Jude deserved something special for finding such a pretty mate."** Her pale eyes shifted over to Vega. The blonde was hidden behind the Winchesters, but she was peering over Dean's arm. Kira gave her a warm smile. **"Don't worry, sweetie. I'll explain everything to you later."**

 **"** **He killed them, Mama."** Logan rasped from Kira's side, his heated glare on the older Winchester. He didn't have the face that killed his brothers, only a scent, and he tracked it to its owner. **"He murdered Randy and tortured Drew."**

 **"** **You killed my boys…"** Kira's voice was laced with a growl and the Winchesters watched as her eyes turned yellow, the nails on her hands grew into sharp claws.

Kira lunged for Dean and Sam pulled Vega a few feet away. He would've told her to lock herself in her room, but Logan had stalked over and grabbed the brunet by his jacket. It seemed like an effortless task as he lifted Sam and threw him across the room, breaking the cabinet where framed photos and other decorations were.

Kira had disarmed Dean's gun and avoided his attempts to slash at her. She grabbed his arm with his last motion and smashed him into the corner bookcase. Logan was stalking over to Vega, stopping her attempt at running over to help Sam.

 **"** **Get away!"** She screamed and closed her eyes before blindly swinging the bat. She didn't know what she hit, but Logan let out a cry of pain.

Vega ran past the kitchen, where Jude was still chained, and down the hall into the nearest room. It just so happened to be the bathroom and before she could slam the door, Logan was there. She used the blunt end of the bat to impel him in the gut. He let out an _oof_ and stumbled backwards. Before she shut the door, she saw Sam coming down the hall and he had one of the chains that were restraining Jude wrapped around hands like brass knuckles.

Vega locked the door and kept the bat in a death-grip as she backed into a corner. She could hear Sam and Logan fighting on the other side and she'd flinch whenever one of their bodies thumped against the door, shaking it. Their fight traveled back into the living room and the commotion was muffled from the distance, but she could still hear furniture being destroyed and glass breaking, the growls of however many Werewolves were still standing and an occasional Human noise from one of the Winchesters.

It felt like hours that the fighting continued and Vega hated every second of the violence, but then, there was silence. She held her breath as she put her ear to the door to listen for any sounds of life, but she didn't hear anything.

Vega unlocked the bathroom door and opened it enough for her lips to poke out of the crack. **"Sam…Dean?"**

She waited, but her call wasn't answered. Vega almost worked up the courage to leave the safety of the bathroom, but she heard footsteps coming down the hall and locked the door. She put as much distance from herself and the door as she could, but the knob rattled. She flinched when there was a knock.

 **"** **Vega? It's Dean."** A male spoke through the door, but Vega didn't trust it. She couldn't clearly hear his voice and she feared it was Logan.

The knob was twisted again, then she heard metal lightly clanking and clicking. The door was slowly pushed open and Vega was ready to start swinging, but she saw emerald eyes. Dean stood in the doorframe, his shirt stained with some splats of plasma and a bloody silver knife in his left hand, but he didn't get any closer when he saw how tense Vega was. He extended his arm and she held the bat out to let it touch his skin. He didn't burn or growl.

Vega let the silver bat clatter to the floor and she ran to Dean, wrapping her arms around his torso. Dean could feel her trembling a little and he encased her in his arms, making sure to keep the knife away from her skin, rubbing her back in a soothing way.

 **"** **It's okay, it's over. We got 'em.** ** _All_** **of them."** He assured her, but she didn't say anything. Her only response was squeezing Dean tighter.

 **"** **Uh, Dean?"** Sam called from the end of the hall and Vega detached from the older brother. Dean took a step back to look at Sam. He was in the same disheveled state as his brother and he still had the silver chain wrapped around his fist from when he was punching Logan, but he was looking at something near the door with worry clear in his eyes. **"We gotta problem."**

 **"** **What is it now?"** Dean sighed as he went to investigate and Vega grabbed the silver bat before skittishly trailing behind him.

When they got back into the living room, Vega's jaw detached from her skull at the state of the room. All the furniture was broken or smashed and there were holes the size of tires in the walls. It looked like a raging tornado was trapped in the room and destroyed everything…except the sofa. That only managed to get flipped over and the throw pillows were scattered around.

Vega went to investigate what caught the Winchester's attention. The first thing she saw was the mop of messy, hazelnut-brown hair that fell to the boy's chin. Then, she saw his eyes, those stunning chartreuse eyes that she fell in love with the second she saw them. He was wearing a blue, race car pajama set and little white socks on his feet.

 **"** **Kelly…"** The child's name fell from Vega's lips as her heart sunk into her stomach.

 **"** **Is he one of them?"** Dean asked, pulling the nightmare right out of her mind and making tears gloss her eyes.

 **"** **I-I don't know."** She told Dean, her voice quivering **.**

Dean looked into Vega's glossy blue eyes and he honestly wished there was another way for him to end this night, but there wasn't. He tore his eyes away from the blues to the hazel-green ones of his brother. Sam had a knowing look in his eyes. He knew what had to be done, but that didn't mean he liked it or wanted it to happen.

Dean decided to close the case for good. He gripped his knife and tried not to think about the innocence of the boy as he sleepily rubbed his eye and leaned on the doorframe. As soon as he took a step forward, a hand was on his chest and that feather-light touch had Dean stopping in his tracks.

 **"** **Please don't. Let me."** Vega softly pleaded beside him.

It would've been normal for Dean to protest, to tell Vega that there was no saving a monster and it didn't matter how young they were. A monster was a monster and that's what it boiled down to at the end of the day.

But, Dean Winchester didn't utter a word of objection. He stepped back and let Vega do what she wanted.

 **"** **Hey, Kells."** She smiled at the little boy who was so tired that he could barely keep his eyes open, but managed to smile back at her. Vega's heart was ready to shatter as she got on her knees in front of him with the baseball bat across her lap. She heard the clicking of a gun and tried not to stiffen at the sound, but she knew that Sam and Dean wouldn't shoot unless Kelly attacked. **"Do me a favor, okay? Just put your hand on this."**

Kelly rubbed his eyes again, but he complied to Vega's request. He put his small hand on the end of the baseball bat and slightly clutched the rounded end. Dean and Sam were watching his every move, waiting for the second his body began to alter into a monstrous form. But, he didn't.

Kelly's hand rested on the bat for a moment, but he never flinched away or growled or showed any signs that he was like Kira and her sons.

 **"** **Look, he's not burning or anything. That means he's still Human, right?"** Vega whipped around to Sam and Dean. A pair of relieved tears slid down her cheeks to match her smile **. "He's okay. He's not one of them."**

 **"** **Kira probably kidnapped him."** Sam stated.

He noticed how none of Kira's 'sons' looked alike or shared any of her traits. From what Kira said about Jude being the first in their pack to find a mate, he came to the conclusion that Kira was must've been jumping around the States and mating with Werewolves. When they finished with the pack, Sam ran his theory over with Dean and his brother said that it made sense. Kelly could've been the child of one of her sons' victims and she decided to keep him like some sort of sick trophy.

Vega had scooped Kelly into her arms and was petting the boy's hair. He was already falling asleep on her shoulder.

 **"** **We've gotta clean up our mess, but we'll drop the kid off with the police and they'll get him back to his real family."** Dean told her and she nodded.

Vega seemed to understand that she had to leave Tucson and she went into her bedroom, which also got destroyed in the fight, to retrieve a prepacked knapsack from her closet.

Dean and Sam didn't tell her that there were three bodies stuffed into the trunk when they started driving to the police station. Vega decided to stay with Kelly until he was processed and that gave the brothers time to burn the bodies of Kira's pack. When they were finished with that, they drove back to the police department to and watched as a couple walked out. The woman was holding a sleeping Kelly, who was wrapped in the man's coat, as they went to their car and Vega came out after them.

Sam had purposely stretched out in the backseat to let Vega take the passenger seat and she did. Without a word, Dean drove off into the night.


	5. Gold In The Shadow

Contrary to what most might think, Dean actually enjoyed a few moments of undisturbed silence. Sometimes, he _needed_ those moments. He could clear his thoughts and not stress about monsters or keeping Sam safe from Demons or the goddamn Devil. It shouldn't be surprising that found some of his most peaceful moments with Baby.

Sometimes after a particularly exhausting hunt or when all the weight he's been carrying all his life wore him down, Dean would tell Sam that he needed a break and he'd drive off. He wouldn't stray far from his brother, just follow a backroad until he found a nice, quiet spot where he wouldn't be bothered. He'd put his phone on vibrate and keep it in his pocket just in case some trouble found its way to Sam.

In those moments, Dean would simply cut the engine, recline his seat back as far as it would go and shut his eyes. The darkness was calming to him and he'd let it consume his scenery. The sun would darken, the sounds of birds chirping or passing cars would be muted and Baby would slowly vanish until he was drifting in the comforting oblivion.

No danger.

No monsters.

No worry or remorse or self-hatred.

Just Dean and the solace he found within the endless abyss of nihility.

With how quiet the car was now, Dean thought the silence would trigger his secret pleasure, but he was driving and he couldn't stop himself from glancing at Vega every few seconds. Sam was still sleeping in the backseat, but he's woken up twice to ask if everything was okay. It seemed like he was down for the count this time and Dean understood his brother's fatigue. They were both being thrown around like ragdolls by Kira and Logan. Then, Jude had gotten lose and he was trying his damndest to murder Sam. Add that to digging ditches to burn the bodies in and it was a tiring night for the boys.

Dean was used to pulling all-nighters, even when his body ached and he didn't have the energy to blink. Tonight was different though. Tonight, his vigilance was coming from the blonde sitting next to him.

Vega hasn't said a word since Kelly was reunited with his family. She still had her silver baseball bat and it was resting between the small space of the door and her seat; her knapsack on the floor between her feet. Dean had given her his jacket because as cute as her tank was, it didn't provide any warmth and his jacket was draped around her shoulders now, one hand clutching the lapel. Her head was leaning on the window as she stared ahead. Her expression was what Dean could only describe as fleeting shock and gloominess.

He was driving them to their motel, but Dean couldn't stand the nagging voices in his head any more. If he didn't say something to her, his head was literally going to explode.

 **"** **You okay?"** He asked Vega, trying to mimic Sam's honeyed voice from earlier.

Vega remained silent for a moment and Dean wondered if what happened today had traumatized her. Learning about monsters, discovering her boyfriend and his family were a pack of Werewolves and that there was a plan to turn her into one was a mighty pill to swallow.

Vega blinked and seemed to come back to reality. She lifted her head to look at Dean and tried to give him a small smile. **"Not really."**

Dean nodded at her short answer. His thoughts went silent when they were talking, so he decided to continue. **"Guessed you loved Jude, huh?"**

 **"** **That's the thing, I didn't."** Dean had to turn to look at her when she said that. Vega had a remorseful tone to her voice, but there was no warmth towards the subject. **"Tonight was the first time he's said anything like that, but I thought he was a person, not a monster. I cared about him, but I know I didn't love him."**

Dean hummed to let her know he was listening. He was a little surprised to hear that she wasn't in love with Jude. When they were in her kitchen, he remembered her saying that they were together for almost 2 years and that was enough time for someone to fall in love. Obviously, Jude fell head over heels for Vega in that time.

 **"** **Where are your parents?"** Dean asked. He was sure Vega wouldn't want to stick around with he and his brother for long **.** He wanted her to, just so he could protect her like he did tonight, but he couldn't force her to stay with them. He'd give her his number and hope she'd call if something was wrong…and maybe just to talk.

 **"** **I don't have parents."** She told him.

 **"** **They kick you out or did you runaway?"**

 **"** **Neither, I** ** _literally_** **don't have parents."** When Dean didn't respond, Vega looked over at him and he glanced at her. She saw his confused face, so she explained. **"I've never had a Mom and Dad, I don't have any siblings or an Aunt and Uncle or grandparents. I was living on my own."**

 **"** **You don't have** ** _anyone_** **to stay with? No close friends or a distant cousin? Anybody?"**

Vega simply shook her head. Dean kept his calm expression, but a little part of him was jumping in joy. If she didn't have anyone to stay with, that meant she had to stick around with him a little longer.

When that strange thought registered, Dean furrowed his brows. He wanted to get defensive again, knowing that Vega had something to do with this protective side of him jumping out. It wasn't like when he and his brother were protecting a random woman on a case. No, this was starting to develop into a need.

Dean felt like he _needed_ to make sure Vega was going to be okay and he felt like the only person capable of doing that was himself. He felt like Sam wasn't even good enough to watch over her, that he shouldn't even be near her, and that thought is what worried him the most. Sam was just as good of a Hunter as his brother was.

 **"** **Just drop me off wherever and I'll be fine."** Vega told Dean and he almost slammed his foot down on the brakes, but he didn't want Sam to wake up. If he was being honest, he didn't want Sam to talk to Vega.

Instead, Dean slowed down just enough so that he could look away from the road and not get them into an accident.

 **"** **Yeah, I'm not doing that."** He dismissed and raised his hand when she looked like she was ready to protest. **"Vega, you're a pacifistic teenage girl with nobody looking out for you. You could barely shoot that compact pistol of yours, but it doesn't matter because you don't want to. If you come across someone that can take one of those pellets and shrug it off like I did, that's gonna get you killed. And if I let you go off into this big, bad world full of monsters and deranged Humans and something happens to you, I won't be able to sleep."**

A look of surprise overcame Vega's features after Dean's little speech and turned back to the road to let his paternal words sink in. He realized how much he sounded like John when he told her that. It made him think about all the times when the older Winchester men went on hunts, but Sam couldn't because it was too dangerous and he was too young. Still, every time Sam knew his Dad and big brother were about to go on a hunt, he'd start packing a bag and telling his Dad about all the monsters he knew about. He'd tell John what they preyed on, where they usually nested and how to trap or kill one.

But the same scene would play out time and time again. John would sit Sam down and tell him with compassionate sternness that he was not going with them.

And Dean just did the same thing to Vega, telling her that she was not going anywhere without him.

 **"** **I'm not defenseless, Dean. Just because I prefer avoiding monsters and conflict doesn't mean I** ** _can't_** **protect myself."** Dean glanced at Vega so she could see his 'I'm not convinced' look and she rolled her eyes at him. **"I exorcised a Demon and slipped away from you and Sam without a scratch, didn't I?"**

 **"** **Alright, I'll give you that one."** Dean shrugged and Vega stuck her tongue out at him, smiling after. A smirk tugged at Dean's lips too. He was happy that he was the one to make her feel better after the madness of their night. He glanced at her with seriousness in his eyes, but they still held a lightheartedness. **"You're staying with us, just until we get you situated."**

 **"** **I'll be okay, really."** Vega persisted. She sounded like Dean was being too generous and she didn't want to impose on he and his brother, but that wasn't the case at all. Dean looked at her again and cocked an eyebrow. Without saying a word, he was telling her that he was not going to accept that answer. With a small sigh, she gave in. **"Fine…bossy."**

She gave Dean a playful smirk and he smiled at it, his lingering. He was happier knowing that he convinced her to stick around because now, she'd be safe with him. That's all he wanted.

 **"** **If I'm gonna be sticking around, you should know that my name's not Vega."** Dean glanced at the blonde when she spoke, but she yawned before meeting his eyes. He could tell she was tired by the redness creeping up in them. **"It's Aziza."**

 **"** **Like Aziza Ghalila? The producer of** ** _Oggy and the Cockroaches_** **?"**

When she didn't answer, Dean looked at her again and was greeted with what had to be one of the sweetest smiles he's ever seen. If it weren't for Baby's engine humming, he would've forgotten that he was driving.

 **"** **You're the second person to ever notice that."**

Dean felt the prickles of heat on his cheeks and cleared his throat, intently focusing on the road. Was he really blushing over a girl right now? That hasn't happened since he was a teenager.

He would've asked if she was using an alias because she was a Hunter, but he thought back to what she said about preferring to avoid monsters. Maybe she was a shelter kid, but that still didn't explain how she got that Demon out of Rebecka. All his questions died in his mouth when he watched as Aziza slightly slumped in her seat and tugged his jacket around her like a blanket. Her eyes shut and he watched her nuzzle into the collar as if she found comfort in it. He hoped she did.

Dean decided that his questions could wait until the sun burned out or time came to an end, whichever came last. She was safe with him and that's all that mattered.

 **SN*SN*SN*SN***

Dean parked the Impala in front of their motel room and as he cut the engine, he looked over at Aziza. She slept through the rest of the ride and he didn't want to wake her. She looked so peaceful and he hated the thought of disturbing her serenity.

As quietly as he could, Dean opened his door and stepped out. He reached into the rolled down window of the backseat and plucked Sam's nose, making the younger Hunter startle awake. Sam was glaring at his smiling brother, but Dean put a finger to his lips and pointed to the sleeping blonde.

Sam got out of the car just as quietly as Dean did and went to retrieve their bag of weapons from the trunk. Dean rounded the car and opened Aziza's door. He grabbed her knapsack and without a care towards the salmon-pink and baby-blue color scheme or the angel wings on the flap, he pulled the bag over his shoulder. He went to unbuckle her seat-belt, but she woke up and grabbed her bat. Dean jerked away from her and held his hands up as the wildness in her eyes simmered down. She must've been dreaming about the Werewolves.

Aziza got out of the car and pulled Dean's jacket closed over her torso, but still had a grip on her bat. When Sam came around with their bag, Dean was intentionally separating his brother from the blonde as he informed Sam of her real name. Sam took the initiative to reintroduce himself with an extended hand and Dean frowned at the smile she gave Sam as she played along by shaking his hand.

Dean was still separating the two as they walked to room 12 and he unlocked the door. The place was called the Red Rock motel and the interior of their room was decorated in a tribal, Indian style. The peeling teal-blue wallpaper was supposed to represent the sky and there were clouds with Indians on horses decorating the material. The carpet was supposed to mimic one of Arizona's sandy desert floors, but it just barely passed as a straw-yellow color.

Dean almost didn't want Aziza to stay in their room and he'd have broken the bank to get them a room in a nicer hotel, but he knew she was tired. He flicked the lights on and the first thing he noticed was Castiel standing up from his position on the bed. On Dean's bed. The Angel's been missing since they first came across Aziza in the alley and he was searching for a heavenly being to match that omnipotent residue he detected.

 **"** **Your room comes with an Angel? Sweet."** Aziza grinned.

 **"** **Cas, this is Aziza."** Dean introduced the pair as Sam locked the door and set their duffle down before plopping on his mattress. Castiel crossed the room to stand in front of the blonde. **"She's the girl we were looking for in the alley."**

Aziza was looking at the Angel in a dreamy sort of way, admiring him. **"Castiel…I like your name."**

 **"** **Thank you. And you're very clean for a prostitute."** Cas smiled, but Aziza's expression dropped and Dean mentally face-palmed himself. He really needed to invest some time in teaching Cas how to have a normal conversation.

Aziza leaned to the side to look at Sam from behind Castiel's frame, who had sat up upon hearing Cas' remark. **"First, you think I'm a Were-witch. Now, you go around telling Angels I'm an alleyway whore?"**

 **"** **Hey, he had it set in his mind that you were a prostitute. We had nothing to do with that."** Sam held his hands up in surrender, smiling.

 **"** **You guys are _real_ lady-killers." ** Aziza quipped. **"Just because I swiped my V-Card doesn't mean I'm flouncing around town with crotchless panties."** She turned to Dean and poked him in the chest. **"And just because you're a Hunter/Stripper doesn't mean I think you sleep with all the women in your club."**

Dean leaned to the side to look at his brother and Aziza leaned with him. She was smiling, but Dean cocked an eyebrow. **"You told her I was a stripper?"**

 **"** **She told her you were a stripper."** Sam defended with a chuckle.

Aziza laughed and went over to Sam. She set her baseball bat on the bed as she was peeling Dean's coat off her shoulders, he was intently watching as her skin was revealed to his eyes. To Sam, it felt like they were the only two in the room and she was giving him a teasing little show. Once the jacket was off, his eyes grazed over her arms and the strands of blonde hair behind her elbows. When he got to the curve of her shoulder to her neck, he licked his lips as the tempting thought of kissing and biting and sucking at her flesh until it was bruised by his mouth ran through his mind.

Sam didn't register that Dean was moving until he saw the body of green obscure his view. His brother had offered Aziza a clean, green and black flannel to wear from his duffle and she thanked him as she headed for the bathroom.

Dean was giving Sam a look of utter disapproval, but it was much more than that. It was a warning glare, telling Sam to back off right now. However, his brother was preoccupied by watching Aziza flutter to the bathroom. When she was out of his sight, he finally looked to Dean and noticed the dark look in his eyes before his brother turned away from Sam to Castiel.

 **"** **Were you able to get a read on Aziza?"** He asked the Angel. **"Considering that she was the only other thing in the alley, maybe she has something to do with what you felt."**

 **"** **From my perspective, she's Human."** Cas explained. From the second Aziza walked into the room, he was scanning her and he knew Dean was going to ask if there was anything otherworldly about the blonde. **"There was something peculiar about her though. I couldn't see her Soul."**

 **"** **I tested her. She's not a Werewolf, Shapeshifter, Demon or anything evil."** Sam piped up, getting to his feet. Castiel and Dean looked to the younger Winchester with slightly confused features. The tone in Sam's voice was dismissing any thought of Aziza being a monster. **"And she's not running around murdering everyone like most soulless people would."**

 **"** **I meant that when I looked at her, I saw the light of her Soul, but nothing more."** Cas elucidated his earlier thought. He stared at Sam for a moment, wondering if something bad had happened with the Werewolves and Aziza that made him so defensive. He glanced at Dean for conformation that Sam was okay before he continued **. "Her Soul is locked away from me somehow. It's like trying to look through a warded door. I've never come across something like this before."**

 **"** **The possibility of her being an Angel?"** Dean queried.

 **"** **Highly unlikely. Angels have Grace, not Souls. Nothing can conceal an Angel's Grace; it's how we identify each other."** Dean nodded at that and went to sit on his bed.

He was still tired from dealing with Kira's pack and he laid on top of the red and brown, Ganado pattern comforter, shutting his eyes, but refusing to drift off. With Aziza staying, they had to establish who was sleeping with who before anyone went to bed. There was a worn, sepia recliner that Dean took a liking to posted in front of the small TV, but Sam would probably offer his bed to Aziza because he got to sleep in the car. Dean didn't exactly like the idea of them being alone together while he was sleeping, so he'd probably tell Aziza to take his bed while he supervised from the recliner.

Dean felt something just barely brush his knee and he cracked one eye open. He saw Cas standing an inch from his knees and the look on his face clearly portrayed that the Angel had something on his mind, but he was waiting for someone to acknowledge him. Dean glanced at Sam and his brother was simply staring at the bathroom door, waiting for Aziza to return.

 **"** **What's up, Cas?"**

 **"** **I could feel something from Aziza."** Sam's head whipped around so quick that he was in danger of snapping his own neck at Castiel's confession. He fully turned to face the Angel, but Cas was looking down at the chintzy carpet under his feet. He was confused about how being in Aziza's presence for those short moments made him feel and he glanced up to Dean with pleading blue eyes, hoping that the man could help him understand what was happening. **"She's radiating a certain energy that's making me feel an emotion that I can't quite identify."**

 **"** **Describe it."** Dean encouraged.

It was difficult for Castiel to put into words how Aziza made him feel. Emotions were still a new subject to him. Even being around the Winchesters and the vast emotions they were able to trigger weren't anything close to what he was feeling due to the girl. It was as if she opened a door to an entirely new universe of emotions.

When Dean didn't get an answer, he sat up in bed and immediately noticed how his mouth was perfectly leveled with the Angel's belt buckle. Cas was still working through his thoughts so he didn't notice how Dean's pupils expanded to marble size, but he detected when the older brother scooted a few spaces down.

 **"…** **warmth."** Castiel almost mistook the feeling for fondness, but that would be inaccurate because he just met Aziza a moment ago; they had no history. No, warmth or tenderness were the best words to describe the new feeling and even then, Castiel felt as though the words only grazed the very pinnacle of the mountain that was this new emotion. The Angel raised his hand and set it over his heart, patting it once. **"Here."**

 **"** **She warms your heart?"** Dean questioned and Castiel's blue eyes locked with his emerald ones.

That was it, the perfect description of the feeling. Aziza warmed his heart. Castiel slowly nodded at Dean to confirm that he was correct. He was still slightly stunned that those four words could define the emotion.

Dean huffed at Castiel's amazed face, turning to his brother. **"I don't know if I should be proud that our little Angel's growing up or disappointed that he's crushing on an underage teenager."**

 **"** **Jude looked like he was in his early 20s, college freshman maybe."** Sam pointed out, raising his eyebrows as a smirk pulled at his lips. His grin only grew when Dean shook his head.

 **"** **There's no way in Hell. She** ** _can't_** **be legal…but if she is…"** Dean blew out a breath and let his sentence hang in the air.

Sam knew what his brother was talking about because he was thinking the same thing. Most people who've meet Dean, or even looked at him, probably think that he uses his charm to easily seduce and pounce on 18-year-old girls, but Sam knew his brother was better than that; he was too. They had needs like any other man, but they liked indulging in _women_ , not _girls_. The Winchesters usually stayed away from any females, no matter how pretty they were, whose age still had 'teen' in it, but they both were obviously willing to make an acceptation this time. This would most likely be _the only time._

When Dean looked at his brother again, they both let out a little laugh. Castiel was looking between them with curiosity, knowing that there was some kind of arcanum Winchester conversation going on, but in the dark about what the topic was.

The brothers had the same thought in mind. Sam was actually looking forward to this little competition they just agreed on. Dean already laid the bait out with letting Aziza stay with them for a while and she took it. Within the time she'd be spending with them, they'd both have a bunch of opportunities to worm their way into her heart. They didn't have the same type, but when these competitions happened, Dean usually came out victorious by winning the girl. This time around, Sam felt like he had a bit of an advantage. He's spent more time with Aziza and she seemed more comfortable, familiar even, with him than Dean. He wouldn't mind getting this win over his brother either. It'd be a feat to brag about for years.

This little bet of theirs would also put an end to the competitive nature they already held over Aziza because Sam noticed how Dean tried to keep Aziza distanced from him when they were in the parking lot. Whomever she wanted, the other would have no choice but to back off and there wouldn't be any more glares or over-protectiveness.

 **"** **I should've known the Winchesters were involved."** A new voice spoke and in an instant, Castiel had his Angel Blade in hand and Dean was on his feet with a pistol as was Sam.

The voice came from someone Sam never wanted to see again because if he did, he knew he was going to do something heinous to the being for the torture he went through.

Yet there he was.

Leaning on the door of their motel room was the Trickster who murdered Dean nonstop for what felt like forever on a traumatizing Tuesday loop.

* * *

To **Demona Evernight** and anyone else who was wondering, Aziza is pronounced 'Ah-Zee-Zah'. Special thanks to my mysterious **Guest** reviewer for spotting some mistakes in the last chapter. I'd love to have you as a Beta!

I feel like this was a transition chapter, so I'll probably upload another tomorrow.  
Thanks so much for the Faves, Follows and Reviews❤️


	6. Old Sins and Old Ways

The Trickster snapped his fingers and in the blink of an eye, Castiel vanished into thin air. Before Dean could even try to lunge at the demigod, he snapped again and the Winchester brothers immediately sunk into the floor. Dean and Sam tried to claw at the carpet to pull themselves out of the quicksand that just manifested under their feet, but it seemed like the more they moved, the quicker they sank. After another moment of useless struggling, the brothers were submerged up to their shoulders and seemed to be frozen in place.

The Trickster was standing before the brothers with his arms folded over his chest. His expression was full of disapprobation as he glared down at the men.

Gabriel had gone to check-in on Aziza after she called him. That was the day she met Dean and Sam, but she didn't tell the Archangel about their meeting because she knew Gabriel would be overprotective and probably forbid her to ever leave his side again. Instead, she told him that she had some trouble with Demons and she overreacted when she called him. Gabriel's worry refused to let him do anything but linger, so he abandoned his research to hover a bit. He stayed in Tucson and did a little investigating of his own when he heard of the bodies dropping.

After a fourth victim was found and the cops proved to be completely ignorant to the obvious fact that Werewolves were hunting people, Gabriel went to uproot Aziza from her life in Tucson. She's the one who wanted to move out and live on her own. As much fun they had causing trouble as Tricksters, he knew she wasn't fond of bouncing around the States every few weeks. He was constantly busy with getting information on what she was, checking in on Balthazar every few days and now, he had to worry about what Lucifer could be plotting now that he was free, so they were moving around more often.

Gabriel dragged out letting Aziza go as long as he could, but eventually caved in. Like a bird ready to leave the nest, this independent mindset wormed its way into her head every time she was a teenager and he tried to avoid it, but it always reared its ugly head.

Aziza's been settled in Tucson for almost 3 years and he knew she made a life there. She was working at the Senior Center, she was looking into going to college and she had a boyfriend, but Gabriel had yet to meet the guy. Whenever they talked on the phone, Aziza would tell him how this Jude character was the sweetest guy and that his family was just as kind. Gabriel came to visit her whenever he wasn't investigating what she was and now that Lucifer was free, he had to keep an eye out for his brother too.

But when Gabriel arrived at Aziza's house only to find it a disaster zone and that she was missing, he was ready to bludgeon every Werewolf in the world.

He had to constantly remind himself not to panic because the bracelet he made her was still sending signals to him, telling him that she was indeed alive. All Gabriel did was follow that signal and he found her at the Red Rock motel. He was revolted by the thought of her staying in anything less than a 4-star hotel.

Now that he knew the Winchesters were involved, he wished the Werewolves had kidnapped her instead.

 **"Give me one reason _not_ to smite you right now. And it'd better be a damn good one." **He frowned, folding his arms over his chest.

 **"We haven't done anything to you."** Dean carped.

 **"Bitch, please."** Gabriel rolled his eyes at Dean, just like Aziza had done to him in the car. **"You and Andre the Giant have disrespected me on _soo_ many levels tonight. And to top it off, you stole something from me."**

 **"What, the girl? Are you kidding me?"** Gabriel simply cocked an eyebrow as his answer. **"We saved her from a pack of Werewolves tonight."**

The third Archangel looked to be considering Dean's words, even tapped his cheek in thought. **"What if I don't believe you?"**

 **"Ask her yourself!"** Dean barked, irritated with the childish games.

Gabriel was about to call Aziza, but she heard Dean's loud voice from the bathroom and cracked the door open to see what was going on. She wished she would've brought her silver baseball bat into the bathroom with her, but she didn't think anything bad would happen. Dean and Sam had gotten rid of the Werewolves and there was nothing else to worry about.

When she saw the familiar pair of gilded wings, that were flared in aggravation, she smiled and threw the door open. Gabriel turned around in time to catch her as she ran out of the bathroom, wearing Dean's large flannel, and into his arms to give him a warm hug that made fireworks explode in his heart.

 **"Hey, cutie pie. Miss me much?"** He smiled as they detached, but she looked behind him at Sam and Dean immobilized in puddles of quicksand. **"Settle something for me. Did these brutes save you from some Werewolves?"**

 **"Yeah, they did. Jude and his family turned out to be a pack. I would've been ripping people to pieces if it weren't for Sam and Dean."**

 **"Didn't I tell you that all men were dogs?"** Gabriel remarked with that 'I told you so' tone. She rolled her eyes at him. From over his shoulder, he looked down at the brothers. **"How did you even come in contact with her?"**

 **"We got a lead on a case and went to investigate. We saw her expel a Demon and thought she was…"** Sam paused to let Dean say what he knew he was going to.

 **"A Were-witch."** Both Dean and Aziza filled in the blank.

 **"And we followed her."** Sam continued. **"Her boyfriend and his family turned out to be the ones we were looking for."**

 **"They saved my life, Gabe."** Aziza added, but Gabriel wasn't budging.

 **"Stay away from her."** He warned the Winchester brothers. Unseen by them, his golden wings had flared out with his growing irritability and protectiveness over Aziza. She was now concealed by his right wing and the appendage was twitching with Gabriel's growing temper, slightly smacking her in face. **"If I catch either of you boneheads anywhere near her again, by Father-"**

 **"Gabe, quit- dude, your friggin' wings!"** Aziza carped and easily yanked one of the feathers from Gabriel's wings. He yelped, but immediately folded them behind his back. He knew that his wings portrayed his feelings, just like the wings of any Angel would, but he never noticed when Aziza was getting hit in the face by them unless he was intentionally doing it. When he wanted her to scratch a spot that his hands couldn't reach, he'd thrust one of his golden wings in front of her face and flap it until she gave in. When his wings had minds of their own and were in her face, she always plucked one of his feathers out. He was thankful it didn't happen often or his wings would be bare **. "And before you try to banish them to Limbo, maybe they should stick around. They're pretty efficient bodyguards. They went up against _three_ Werewolves and won! And Dean fended off two of them all by himself!"**

Gabriel rolled his eyes at how impressed Aziza was at the Winchesters doing their jobs, but he couldn't help but smirk at her. She's never met a Hunter before, but he's told her about them just in case she ran into one. He never uttered a word about the Winchesters and it was for good reason. He didn't want them to ever meet Aziza because they were easily some of the most dangerous Humans on the planet.

Gabriel thought about her ability to see Souls and had to guess that she liked what she saw within the Winchesters. There had to be a familiar feeling when she looked at them.

 **"You don't know them like I do, Zi-Zi. The Winchesters are not the kinda men you wanna get friendly with."** Gabriel sneered at the brothers, who gave him a deadly pair of glares back. **"They tend to make people care about them, then once you're useless to them, you usually die. They only care about each other. Everyone else is like a condom to them. Use and throw away, never keep."**

 **"Like you're a saint."** Sam steely objected.

Gabriel smirked. **"Biblically speaking, I am."**

That little tidbit flew right over Sam's head, along with Aziza's previous comment about wings, because if he'd have thought about what the brunet just said, he would've known exactly what he was. Instead, his rational thinking was blinded by a growing storm of hate and rage with lightning strikes of pain. Sam just brushed off that fact as another snarky remark from the Trickster.

 **"You made me watch my brother die over and over just for shits and giggles."** The younger brother spat.

 **"Don't give me the scolding Mom eyes."** Gabriel told Aziza without looking at her because he knew she was going to reprimand him. Whenever he went 'too far' with his tricks, she always told him to make it right. He felt like what he did to Sam was something righteous though. **"And if we're being honest, I was giggling so hard that I actually shit myself. With all the hell you and your brother have let loose, _literally and figuratively,_ you deserved to be punished."**

 **"I wouldn't give a shit if we were responsible for a goddamn genocide, _nobody_ deserves to go through that! And you did it for your own sick pleasure!" ** Sam barked, sounding like a jail warden after getting a riot under control. Just like his brother, Sam had a side of John within him and it was how terrifying his father could look and sound when he was livid. **"I could understand if it was to prevent me from doing something wrong, but you did it because I made a mistake that I can't take back! That was fucking cruel, even for a petty Trickster like you!"**

Dean's eyebrows almost flew straight off his head at hearing his little brother. It wasn't common to hear Sam curse. He'd utter a 'goddamnit' or 'son of a bitch' every now and then, but he _never_ decorated his speech with profanities just for the hell of it. Dean knew that being stuck on a Tuesday loop with him dying everyday still hurt Sam because he had to watch each death. Dean didn't remember it at all, but Sam did and from the sound of it, he remembered every Tuesday like it just happened yesterday.

Dean was used to pushing his pain deep down inside him and burying it, but Sam wasn't like that. The anguish of that experience never dulled away in him and the Trickster practically ripped the stitches out of a wound that hadn't even scabbed-over.

Gabriel and Sam knew why the Trickster had punished the younger brother with watching Dean die for those months. As soon as the Morning Star had risen into the skies, every supernatural being on Earth, Heaven and Hell knew about it. He could hear the panicked wails of the Angels and it made him remember how they were just as chaotic when his Father had suddenly abandoned Heaven. He heard the Demons cheering at the release of their 'Father' and he even heard some monsters simply screaming in fear of what was to come now that Lucifer was unrestrained.

But the most terrifying thing about Lucifer being released wasn't that his brothers were on the path to destroy each other or that the world was likely coming to an end. No, it was seeing how Aziza reacted.

She was frozen in place, stiller than a marble statue, as she stared at the sky. And her eyes had started to glow. Not just her irises, but her entire socket was glowing a pale-lavender color and that never happened before. Gabriel had tried with everything he had to get her to talk to him and when that didn't work, he went to move her, but she wouldn't budge. His only option was to sit and wait for this trance to pass.

He began to hear her mumbling things in her trance. Aziza was born speaking fluent Enochian and Gabriel knew that was the language coating her words, but he couldn't understand what she was saying. She stayed like that for a solid hour, then she fainted. When she woke up, Gabriel asked her what happened, but she looked at him like she didn't know what he was talking about.

 **"You did not make him suffer through that."** Aziza came from behind Gabriel to stand in front of him and, of course, she had the scolding Mom eyes for him to feel a pang of guilt. Gabriel couldn't keep her stare, so he looked away and shrugged. **"I should turn you into a goldfish for doing that, Gabe."**

 **"I still have nightmares about that."** Gabriel shuddered, remembering when he was turned into a fish for the sake of a 7-year-old girl's entertainment.

 **"Apologize."** She instructed and if this was a cartoon, Gabriel's eyes surely would've bulged 20 feet out of his head. Before he could protest, Aziza pointed a finger at him. **"That was wrong, Gabe. You knew it was."**

 **"In my defense, they impaled me with a wooden stake _twice."_** He pointed out like a child trying to convince their mother that even though what they did was wrong, it was still justified. Aziza simply put her hands on her hips and pointedly looked at her Archangel, knowing all too well that he was guilty. Gabriel dramatically sighed. **"Fine, alright."**

Aziza stepped to the side to reveal Sam and Dean, still trapped in the puddles of quicksand. He couldn't believe he was actually about to apologize for this.

 **"Sam, Dean… _I guess_ I'm sorry for the whole never-ending, Dean-Dies-Every-Tuesday thing." ** It all came out in a muttered jumble of words, but it was clear enough to be heard. Aziza smiled at Gabriel, but he shuddered. **"Ugh, I feel dirty."**

She pat Gabriel on the shoulder, then turned to the brothers. **"Your turn."**

 **"You want _us_ to apologize _to him_?" ** Sam asked, incredulity oozing off his words to match his disbelieving expression.

 **"You did try to kill him."** She reminded.

 **" _Twice."_** Gabriel piped up from beside her, making Sam glare at him.

 **"I'm not saying it's an excuse for what he did and it's not making it right, but you gotta admit that it was provoking."** Aziza reasoned like the mediator she was. **"You're Hunters; you had to know that messing with a Trickster wasn't going to end well."**

Dean didn't even have to look at Sam's bitchface to know that Hell would soon freeze over and Jack Frost would claim the throne before his brother even considered apologizing to the Trickster and the demigod's smug look wasn't helping the situation. What he did know was that Sam wanted to keep Aziza with them and the only way to do that was to play by the rules.

 **"Sorry for not killing you correctly."** Dean grumbled to the Trickster.

 **"Close enough."** Aziza smiled. She told Gabriel to let the brothers out of the quicksand and the Archangel reluctantly did so. Dean and Sam were brushing the sand out of their hair or shaking it off their bodies, much to Aziza's entertainment because she was giggling at them. **"So, now that we've cleared the air, how are we feeling about that bodyguard thing?"**

 **"Not a good idea, Zi-Zi."** Gabriel objected from behind her, making her turn to face him.

 **"You're not with me all the time, Gabe. I know you worry, so wouldn't you feel better knowing that I'm in good hands?"**

 **"Good hands? Try murderous, self-serving hands that are soaked in an ocean's worth of blood."** He scoffed. With that thought in mind, he stepped in front of Aziza to create a barrier between she and the Winchesters. He kept them in his sight, but his focus was on Aziza.

 **"Look, I've got book knowledge on monsters. Sam and Dean have field experience. I'm only good at exorcising Demons because I'm not afraid of them. They know how to get rid of everything else that scares me."** She reasoned, but Gabriel didn't look moved in the slightest bit. She knew how stubborn he could be, but she also knew that he wasn't just going to let anybody look after her because that's what he declared his job. Aziza wanted Gabriel to focus on his research though and he couldn't do that if he was worrying about what could happen to her without protection. With a sigh, half tired from the madness of tonight and half tired from the energy she was using trying to convince Gabriel to let the brothers stick around, she continued. **"I know I asked to be on my own and I was doing okay. We'd find a place together and when things got suspicious or bodies started dropping, I moved and didn't look back…but without someone to lookout for me, I'd have no other choice but to…you wouldn't want me to start doing _that_ …would you?"**

Aziza's head hung and her blonde hair partially shielded her face from Gabriel, but he could read her emotions just by being in the same room as her. If there was one thing in this world that Gabriel knew Aziza hated more than anything, it was the thought of having to kill something. He couldn't say he understood because he's fought in wars and death was something he was used to, but Aziza was not a Warrior of Heaven. She was a saintly, Daisy of a girl with a flowery touch. That's why she took it upon herself to get over her fear of Demons and exorcise the ones she came across, why she worked at the Senior Center and went to hospitals to heal people. She cherished life with such a passion Gabriel's only ever seen with his Father.

Gabriel felt bad now that he knew why Aziza wanted to stay with Sam and Dean. They proved that they could protect her tonight and it meant something to her.

 **"I'd never want you to, Zi-Zi. Never in a billion years would I want that."** He spoke so softly to her, afraid that she was secretly crying. He gently nudged her chin up with his finger and was relieved to see that there were no tears in her eyes. He dramatically sighed as he motioned to Dean and Sam behind him. **"But why _them_? You could've picked _any_ other pair of Hunters in the world, but _nooo_. You just had to pick Dean and Sam, the notorious Winchester brothers. By Father…"**

Aziza started to smile at Gabriel being the melodramatic goofball he's always been. **"Obviously, I have a type."**

 **"Yeah, extremely dangerous and a little hairy."** He ribbed, smirking at her.

 **"Zia, we've got no problem with keepin' you safe."** Dean spoke up and the playfulness between she and the Trickster died. Well, it died on the demigod's part because he was glaring at Dean like the man was insulting him by breathing. Dean honestly didn't give a shit. **"You can stay with us however long you want and we'll keep you safe from monsters, no problem."**

 **"She is not staying in this disease-drenched, bedbug infested, crusty beds that smells like goat sex, unknown stain on the carpet that won't go away, a hooker was probably murdered in the bathroom, motel room that would make _Dateline_ go berserk." ** Gabriel carped, wings flaring out again and concealing Aziza. She was so tempted to punch him in the wing, but she knew how sensitive they were and she didn't want to seriously hurt Gabriel. **"Not only that, but if you haven't noticed, this room only has _two_ beds and I'd bite every finger off my hands and eat them before I allow either of you man-whores to share a bed with her."**

It was Dean's turn to roll his eyes. **"I'm sure we can handle ourselves."**

 **"Bullshit."** Gabriel spat, making Aziza raise her eyebrows in surprise from behind him. **"Dean, I know you get more ass than a toilet seat and Sam's taking the silver medal in the One-Night-Stand Olympics."**

 **"She wants to stay with us. Deal with it."** Sam said from beside his brother with such dominance in his voice, it sent a chill down Aziza's spine.

Just by the way Gabriel's wings were twitching again, Aziza knew he was about to tell the brothers off. She did not want to get hit in the face again, so she dragged him into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Gabriel looked disgusted by the tiny washroom and he curled his wings around himself just so they wouldn't touch anything.

While they were in there having a one-sided argument because Gabriel's stubbornness could put an Ox to shame, Aziza was trying to remind him why Dean and Sam were the best things she could've ever run into.

She really did want to stay with Sam and Dean for however long they'd have her. With them around, Gabriel didn't have to worry about her being unprotected and that'd give him more time to continue his research on what she was. Besides, the brothers were kickass Hunters that would most definitely keep the monsters away and she wouldn't have to be afraid anymore.

Minutes ticked by and the brothers were eavesdropping on the conversation between the Trickster and Aziza. They weren't yelling at each other, but there was still passion in their voices and the foundation of the bathroom made their muffled words echo off the walls. Sam never took his focus off the door, but Dean had begun to pace a bit.

From the way Aziza hugged the Trickster, Dean knew they had some kind of history and that dismissed the thought of the demigod hurting her. While he was concerned about the pair being alone, he was worried about Castiel. He didn't know what the Trickster did to him and that was making him antsy.

When the bathroom door opened again, Aziza came out with a triumphant smile on her face while the Trickster looked like he was something between constipated and completely done with everything. Aziza nudged him in the arm and Gabriel threw his head back to groan.

 **"The only reason I'm allowing you to prove that you can be her guard dogs is because she's found something admirable about you."** Gabriel bitterly announced his reluctant approval to the men. **"But I _will not_ allow her to spend another second in this oversized dumpster."**

 **"He's not gonna stop bitching unless we're staying somewhere that's within his ridiculously high standards."** Aziza rolled her eyes at Gabriel's expensive taste. She honestly had no problem with staying in the motel.

 **"Which means, no sleazy motels."** Gabriel butted in **. "After what happened tonight, I think it'd be best for you to head up to the cabin."**

 **"The cabin?"** Dean asked.

 **"Our safe house, basically."** Aziza explained. **"It's in a secluded, woodsy part of Colorado and Gabe warded it against all the monsters he knows about, which is probably all of them. And as a token of my appreciation, you'll get three hots and a cot while you're staying. I mean, _if_ you guys want to."**

 **"You had me sold at three hots."** Dean smiled at her. Colorado wasn't a long drive away and if Dean stayed behind the wheel, he'd get them there in record time. After having the Trickster pop in on them, he was a little pumped up and he knew he wasn't just going to doze off. He'd probably stay up and clean his guns, watch TV, then stare at the ceiling until he got so bored that sleep seemed more interesting than a wall. If that didn't work, he always had a _Busty Asian Beauties_ magazine in his duffle. Dean was ready to lunge at any chance he got to stay with Aziza, but he wanted to get conformation from his brother. Turning to him, he asked, **"Sam?"**

 **"So long as he doesn't play anymore tricks,"** He sent a glare to the brunet demigod and Gabriel simply smirked as he recalled how creative he was with his Tuesday loop. **"I'm on board."**

 **"Road trip!"** Aziza cheered, smiling.

Dean smiled at her. **"We'll crash here tonight and be in Colorado before dinnertime tomorrow."**

 **"I want her out of Arizona in the next hour."** Gabriel demanded. He didn't have to look at Aziza to know her eyes were rolling and the brothers looked completely fed up with him, but Gabriel didn't care. **"You don't know who those Werewolves were connected to. What if another pack decides to avenge them because of what you did?"**

 **"If you haven't noticed, you traumatizing wad of shit, we're Humans. We need sleep to function."** Sam spat at the brunet.

Gabriel narrowed his eyes, but raised his hand. So many thoughts crossed his mind about turning Sam into all sorts of bugs or maybe, he'd make a safe fall on him like he did to Dean in the Tuesday loop. There was nothing like getting back to the basics. The thought of turning Sam into _Samantha_ was the most provoking thought and Gabriel would've done just that, but he glanced at Aziza. She had those scolding Mom eyes again and he groaned.

Gabriel snapped his fingers and a pair of things happened at the same time. He advanced time to 10am the next day and he gave Aziza and the Winchesters' bodies the required 8 hours of sleep recommended to function. He wasn't expecting a thank you from the men, but Aziza gave him a smile that made up for it. He requested that she to go to the vending machine to get him a candy bar and she did so without protest.

 **"Don't have any of your whores in the cabin and keep your dicks in your pants."** Was the first thing Gabriel said the second Aziza was out of the room. His heated glare was pinning the Winchester brothers in place and he noticed how defensive Dean got, how he shifted his body to shield Sam. Gabriel wasn't going to hurt either brother until he had reason to and he'd wait until that day came. If Sam thought that Tuesday experience was traumatizing, he wouldn't be able to describe the nightmarish fury of Gabriel's wrath. **"Either of you use her and I'll kill you, _both of you_. Your deaths will be more excruciating than _everything_ I did on that Tuesday loop."**

Even if there was a thick cloud of mutual hate in the air, Dean and Sam nodded at the demigod's warning. They already knew what provoking a Trickster would get them and they weren't going to make the same mistake twice.

 **"Zap my Angel back here."** It was Dean's turn to start demanding things.

Gabriel looked at him like he was crazy. **" _Your_ Angel?"**

 **"Yeah, _my Angel_. Black hair, blue eyes, wears a trench coat. He's adorable. Get him in here."**

Gabriel stared at Dean for a moment, seeing the growing fires of anger fill his eyes. He's heard the Angels talking about Castiel being associated with the Winchesters, but he didn't know the exact details. He also didn't know why the Angel in question would continue to associate himself with the brothers after pulling Dean out of Hell.

With another moment of silence to add dramatic effect, Gabriel snapped his fingers and Castiel appeared in the middle of the room. He looked around as if he didn't know where he was and Dean went to him, putting a hand on his arm.

 **"You okay?"**

 **"I was a bumblebee on a world of flowers."** Cas' voice was like nothing Dean's ever heard. It sounded like a fluffy cloud humming a sweet melody and when the Angel looked at him, his eyes looked like they lightened to a pale-turquoise shade with swirls of powder-blue. To Dean, Cas looked like he just came from a spa or something, rejuvenated. And the Angel even smiled. **"It felt like decades had passed. It was always Spring and sunny and there was a gentle rain at night. I pollinated at least half of the flowers on the entire planet. It was just me and I was happy doing it."**

Dean's brows had knitted together in confusion and he looked over his shoulder at Sam. His expression was the same and he shrugged at his brother.

It was the simplicity of the bumblebee's life that Castiel adored.

While he was a bumblebee, all he did was fertilize or pollinate flowers and plants to help them create more vegetation. It was a simple cycle. At night as the gentle rain provided water for the world, Castiel would be cozily nestled deep within a squash blossom and the warm rays of the morning's sun would wake him. Then, he'd get started pollinating the newest bed of flowers and that would usually take the rest of the day to complete. He'd take short breaks too. Sometimes, he'd just buzz around all the blossoming botany and admire his work. Other times, he'd find the same squash blossom he slept in and just relax there or he'd find a flower petal to sunbathe on. He remembered a beautiful Polyommatinae butterfly fluttering around the flowers and they would play a game of hide and seek before Castiel wanted to return to pollinating.

Cas was still smiling, daydreaming about his experience, when Dean spoke again. **"You enjoyed being a bumblebee more than an Angel?"**

 **"Not as much because I was the only bee, but if I were to be reincarnated, I'd like to be a bumblebee with a beehive of other bees who want to pollinate a world of flowers. And I'd like for the butterfly to be there with us."** Cas looked to Dean with those bright eyes again. He looked so damn happy and Dean's heart was melting because Cas was so content with being a bumblebee **.**

 **"You were always a strange one, Castiel."** With a chuckle, Gabriel shook his head and the blue-eyed Angel turned around.

Before he was sent to the world of flowers, Castiel didn't get a chance to realize what had walked into the room, but he knew it was something supernatural. He really didn't expect to see Gabriel standing there or that signature smirk on his face.

For a moment, Castiel honestly thought that he was still in some kind of alternative universe because that would be only logical explanation as to why he was staring at Gabriel. He had to look at Dean and he felt the Hunter squeeze his arm as if assuring him that he was back in the right reality. Cas' fingers just barely grazed Dean's and the eldest brother took his hand from the Angel's arm. The Angel took timid steps towards the Archangel with gilded wings, not wanting him out of his sight for a second for fear that this was indeed another reality.

 **"I thought you were dead…why didn't you tell me?!"** Sam and Dean weren't expecting Cas to abruptly explode at the Trickster like that and from the way Gabriel slightly flinched in surprise, he wasn't expecting it either. He could feel the waves of anger from radiating from Castiel. **"I didn't want to believe what the others were saying! I didn't want to even _think_ that you were dead! All this time, you were hiding on Earth and I was thinking something killed you! I thought that _Lucifer_ had killed you!"**

Dean had taken a step towards the Angel in an attempt to calm, but Cas detected the second he started moving and looked over his shoulder at Dean. His blue eyes were sharpened with warning and Dean understood completely. The Hunter nodded and backed away, staying out of the situation like Cas silently asked.

 **"I'm sorry, Castiel. Okay? That was on me."** Gabriel spoke in a lulling tone, which made the brothers' cock an eyebrow at his sudden gentleness. He sure as hell wasn't being this tenderhearted when he was slaughtering Dean. **"You're right, I should've said something before leaving, but you know I'm not good at saying goodbye. And you were paired up with Uriel before I left. I thought you'd be okay with him and if not, you still had Balthazar, right?"**

 **"Uriel was recruiting Angels to serve Lucifer when the Seals were broken and killing any who refused. He's dead."** Like a dutiful soldier, Castiel reported in to a Commander on what's happened to the Angels he was associated with in Heaven since Gabriel's absence. The last Angel though…Cas didn't even want to remember how much it hurt when he discovered that the dirty-blond was also missing from Heaven and presumed dead. **"Balthazar's been gone almost as long as you have."**

 **"He's not dead, Castiel."** Gabriel told him and Cas looked up at him with an ocean of hope in his eyes. **"He ran away from home too. We bumped into each other a long time ago, but I've been keeping an eye on him since. He's been hiding on Earth, but he doesn't want anyone knowing he's alive. We're playing dead for a reason."**

Cas nodded at Gabriel's information, but he didn't know how to feel at the moment. Yes, he was happy to discover that both Gabriel and Balthazar weren't dead. He knew that Balthazar most likely had gotten fed up with the strict rules of Heaven, which were even firmer with Michael taking over, and faked his own death. He wasn't sure what caused Gabriel to leave though. There were rumors, but Cas didn't like listening to unreliable gossip. He was very confused though. He wanted to know why the Angels thought it was just fine to abandon Heaven. They should know from their Father's desertion that it was not a good idea. That thought only made him feel like a hypocrite because he turned his back on his home too. He had a reason for leaving Heaven though. Said reason was a righteous man and his brother.

It was a drowning feeling, Castiel realized, like water was filling the room and threatening to submerge him. A lot of information was just unloaded on him, parts of his family has been recovered and it was just an overwhelming moment.

Gabriel could see the struggle Castiel was going through and he wished he could go back in time to the day he decided to leave so he could give the raven-winged Angel a head's up. He just didn't want to see how heartbroken Cas would've looked. He knew he was abandoning everything when Heaven needed all the help he could get, but he wouldn't be able to take the look of desertion from Cas.

Gabriel went to the Angel and put a hand on his shoulder. Cas brought his head up to reveal watery eyes, but he was refusing to cry. Castiel couldn't recall the first time he let tears of sadness fall from his eyes. He remembered crying in pain a few times, the most notable being when he raised Dean from perdition, but not sadness. He hadn't a reason to be mazedly sad until this day.

 **"Listen, I gotta get back to something important. If you ever wanna talk, get some answers, just call and I'll be there."** Gabriel owed Cas that much, to answer whatever questions he had for him. Gabe knew Castiel wouldn't go telling any of the family that he was alive either, so there was some sweat off his back. If Balthazar would allow it, Gabriel wanted them to meet too. There were a lot of things that needed to be explained. **"Keep an eye on Aziza, for me?"**

Castiel nodded at Gabriel soft request, remembering the blonde that had come in with Sam and Dean. He stored the question of Gabriel's affiliation with the girl into his mind for later, when he wasn't experiencing this onslaught of emotions. With another warm smile, Gabriel vanished and Cas rubbed the tears from his eyes.

 **"You okay, Cas?"** Dean asked, timidly stepping closer to the silent Angel. He noticed Cas wiping his tears away and an ache shocked his heart at the sight. He couldn't remember the last time Cas cried. He's heard of Weeping Angels, but he was beginning to think that it was impossible for Cas to do such a thing until today. **"You can take a minute to get yourself together. I'll pray to you when we get to Colorado, so you know where we are. Just take it easy, okay?"**

Another beat of silence passed, then Cas turned around to face the Hunter. It took a moment for his blue eyes to connect with Dean's green ones. **"…thank you, Dean."**

Castiel didn't look like the adorable and youthful Angel he's become so fond of. Dean was seeing a new side of him. The eyes of this Castiel looked so very ancient and tired, exhausted really. He looked like he just wanted to plop down on the nearest flat surface and sleep for a couple days. Dean could relate to the feeling.

In that moment, Dean was reminded that this was a divine being, an Angel of the Lord, a Warrior of Heaven. Castiel, against his dewy-eyed appearance, was older than anything Dean's ever known. Castiel existed when _nothing_ was _everything._ He was there when God decided to make Human beings, these strange hairless apes. He's watched the hideous downfalls and marvelous triumphs of mankind. He's gone into Hell and fought his way out all for one, insignificant Human, out of the billions on the planet that were more important.

Castiel deserved to relax and if he could, Dean would've turned Cas into a bumblebee again and sent him back to that planet of flowers. He felt like Cas deserved that because it made him happy, the same kind of contentment Castiel would feel when watching the Heaven of an autistic man who enjoyed flying a red kite.

The pair shared a gaze for a moment, then the Angel was gone.

Sam and Dean gathered their bags, Aziza's bat and left their motel room. It wasn't until they stepped into the morning light did they realize that Gabriel had advanced time and that they felt fully rested.

While Dean went to the front desk to return their room key, Sam ventured over to the vending machine where Aziza was. He grabbed her knapsack with his bag of clothes and when he got to her, he smiled at all the candy bars she was holding in her shirt, but she was still pressing number combinations to get more. The cute moment ended when he remembered that she was wearing _Dean_ 's shirt, but he wondered if she still had her tank top on under it or if her bare chest was hidden beneath a single layer of fabric.

Aziza dumped her candy into her knapsack and informed Sam that Gabriel spoke to her before he left. She asked about Castiel and he told her that he was going to meet them in Colorado. They continued their idle chat as they walked side by side to the car and Sam would look down at her every time his arm brushed against hers. He's made her giggle a few times and that was enough to make him forget the jealousy he had towards his brother's shirt touching her skin.

Aziza asked if she could ride in the backseat this time and Sam opened the door for her to slide in. When he was closing her door, Dean was walking towards them and he slid her baseball bat in through the rolled down window. He managed to steal a piece of candy out of her knapsack, and Aziza playfully threatened to stick her bat where the sun don't shine if either of them took her sweets again, before he went to the trunk with Sam.

Dean peered over the edge of the trunk and he could see Aziza from the passenger mirror. Just in case she might overhear them, Dean kept his voice low as he spoke to his brother.

 **"All this time, Gabriel was the missing third Archangel, not a Trickster."** He informed his brother.

 **"So, what does that make Aziza?"** Sam wondered. He couldn't believe that he didn't realize who the Trickster was sooner. **"Cas said nothing could conceal an Angel's Grace. The same rules must apply to Archangels, so she couldn't be Gabriel's daughter or a Nephilim. He would've told us."**

 **"But she can't be Human either, not fully."** Dean told Sam, his own mind thinking of what Aziza could be. She had to be something of Heaven, so maybe when Cas came back, he could do some more research. He leaned to the side to look at Aziza again before dropping his voice to an even lower whisper **. "I don't know about you, but I say we stock up on Holy Oil."**

Sam narrowed his eyes at Dean's suggestion. The first thought that came to his mind was that Dean wanted to hurt Aziza, that he thought she was a monster they had to get rid of, and he was not going to let that happen. He didn't care that an Archangel was attached to her or that Castiel couldn't see her Soul or the obvious fact that, against her appearance, she wasn't Human. He refused to let anyone or anything hurt that girl.

Dean sensed Sam's misinterpretation of his words and explained that the Holy Oil was for Gabriel, not Aziza. From what happened in their room, Gabriel was just waiting for the second they slipped up or did something he deemed wrong. Dean huffed as he watched Sam settle down and he really wanted to start teasing about his little brother's crush, but he bit his tongue.

Dean pulled the trunk down and shut. He playfully pushed Sam before he went to the driver's side and got in, starting the engine. When Sam's door closed, Dean pulled out of the motel's parking lot and Aziza leaned up between their seats to show him her phone. She had the directions to Breckenridge, Colorado on the screen and Dean memorized the route. He couldn't remember many hunts in Colorado, but he knew for sure that nothing major ever happened in Breckenridge.

With the incentive of a safe place and sleeping somewhere other than on a stiff, used mattress in mind, Dean drove a little faster than the speed limit just so he could get them to Colorado faster.

* * *

I'm late posting this chapter, so I tried to make it a little long. I really just wanted to reintroduce Gabriel since we haven't seen him since Chap 1.  
Things are moving along, so I think I'll be uploading another chapter sometime this week.

I think I have a general idea of where my audience thinks this story's headed, but I might be taking it in a different direction than you think. *eyebrow wiggle*  
Not sure if anyone's noticed, but if you squint, you might be able to see a little Destiel ;)

❤️I can't thank everyone enough for the responses this story has gotten. You guys rock❤️


	7. Do You Believe In Magic?

Baby had gotten them pretty far from Tucson. With what gas she had left in her tank, she drove them nonstop for 4 hours before she needed a refill and Dean had lovingly kissed the steering wheel to show his appreciation.

They were out of Arizona completely and it was around 2pm now. They were currently going about 3mph on a highway in La Cruces, New Mexico. Dean was encouraging Baby to go just a little longer to get them to the gas station that was just a few feet away. He promised her that when they got to Colorado, he was going to give her a tune up and a nice bath. She was running on sheer willpower now, her tank on empty, and Aziza had joined in on encouraging the car to continue, but Baby just didn't have anything left to go on. When she refused to drive another inch, Dean pulled the keys out and rubbed the dashboard, telling her that she did a good job.

The gas station was about a block's length away, but since Baby couldn't get them there, there was only one thing left to do. She's carried he and his brother all their lives, so it was their turn to carry her.

Dean didn't even have to say anything to Sam as the brothers began peeling off their outer layers until only their shirts remained. It was much hotter in La Cruces than it was in Tucson and Aziza had rolled the sleeves of Dean's flannel up to her elbows and unbuttoned it in an attempt to get cool. Dean asked Aziza if she knew how to drive and she told him she did. He knew it took time for someone to learn how to drive stick, so he kept Baby in drive and asked Aziza steer while they pushed. When the boys got out, she climbed into the driver's seat and they went to the back of the car.

It took 15 minutes for Dean and Sam to push Baby the rest of the way to the gas station and to a pump. After taking a minute to catch their breaths, Sam and Aziza headed into the mini mart while Dean stayed outside to pump gas.

 **"Bring me some pie!"** Dean called as they were walking away. Sam raised a hand in acknowledgement and he heard Aziza laugh at his request. He pulled the pump from its station and inserted it into Baby's filler hole. **"Love me some pie."**

Aziza and Sam both let out a grateful sigh upon entering the store and feeling the cool rush of the air conditioned chill. Sam told her he was going to find some tools for Dean to use on Baby and she grabbed a basket to fill with snacks for the rest of their trip. When Sam was finished, he caught up with Aziza and presented her with a wife-beater she could change into. He knew she was sweating just as bad as he was, but it had to be more uncomfortable for her.

They continued to shop and Aziza spotted a deck of UNO cards. She asked Sam, with those darling blue eyes of hers, if he'd sit in the back and play a few rounds with her. He couldn't possibly refuse that offer and he accepted with a smile. He wasn't expecting for Aziza to hug him, still learning that she was a very affectionate person, but she did and he returned the gesture.

They arrived at the register and along with the gas, Aziza insisted on paying for their things. She said it was only one of the ways she could repay the brothers for agreeing to protect her and Sam let her. His brows lifted in surprise when he saw what she took out of her knapsack. He was expecting to see a girly wallet, the clutch was a watermelon-pink shade with a shiny golden zipper and matching gold bow, because he knew that she was in tune with her femininity, but he wasn't expecting to see the slab of metallic gold she took out. From the writing engraved on the front, it was a J.P. Morgan Palladium card.

Sam knew an elite credit card when he saw one because he and Dean managed to snag a prestigious card from some uppity business man once. With the amount of money they got off it, they checked into a nice hotel for once, stuffed their faces with decent food and bought some new clothes. Dean had 'generously' shared his new premium account to some award-winning porn site with his brother, they'd gotten some new weapons, better suits and did whatever popped into their heads.

Sam pegged the card as being a gift from Gabriel, remembering the Archangel's expensive taste. He carried all their bags and escorted Aziza to the bathroom to let her change shirts. Then, they made their way back to the Impala and like she asked, Sam climbed in the backseat with her.

Once the tank was filled, Dean reclaimed his place behind the wheel and he noticed the bag of tools in the passenger seat. He took a second to look inside and he smiled at all the tools he'd need to give Baby a tune-up, but more so because Sam had been listening to him talk to her earlier.

As their road trip continued, Dean would glance into the mirror and watch Sam and Aziza play UNO. His brother was asking her about what her life was like in Tucson, purposely avoiding anything involving Jude, and she was asking what it was like to be a Hunter. She seemed to like hearing stories rather than telling her own. While Sam was telling tales of past hunts, Dean would add his two-cents when Sam couldn't remember a certain detail.

Sam was opening a bag of beef jerky and when he offered some to Aziza, she admitted that she's never had it before. When she tried it, she said it tasted like a salty, kinda burnt steak, but that it wasn't horrible. That got Sam to laugh. Once the smell hit his nose, Dean's stomach rumbled. **"Where's my pie, Sam?"**

 **"Sorry, man."** Dean adjusted the mirror just so Sam could see his displeased face and Sam huffed in return. **"It slipped my mind. We'll get it on the next stop. It's not a big deal."**

 **"Not a big-"** Dean couldn't even finish his sentence as he whipped around to look at his brother like he just insulted everything that was sacred to him. **"It is a _very big deal_ , Samuel. You do not mess with a man's pie."**

 **"Dean, watch the road!"** Sam scolded, trying to look past his brother to see if they were on a collision course with another car, but Dean simply leaned to block his view.

 **"You forgot my pie. _Again_** _. **"**_ Dean reprimanded in calm tone, totally unaffected by his blindness to the road. Sam looked like he was on the verge of a heart attack. Aziza was looking between the brothers and the road with uncertainty, but she seemed more together than Sam was. **_"_ You did it on purpose, didn't you?"**

 **"Dean!"**

 **"Just tell me why you don't want me to be happy."**

 **"You're gonna get us killed!"**

Sam awkwardly and probably painfully, managed to drape himself between the front seats and take control of the wheel that his brother haphazardly abandoned. He had to arch his back up like a cat to prevent shifting gears, but he glared at Dean and seriously considered the possibility that his brother had finally gone off the deep end.

Dean, however, was as sane as a Hunter could be and he was all but pouting like a child in his seat with his arms folded over his chest. He knew he wasn't going to get them into an accident or anything because he was still steering with his knees, something he learned to do on a hunt with John when he had to blindly drive and shoot at the same time.

At that moment, Dean couldn't care less if Sam decided to drive the remaining 9 or so hours to Colorado in the gawky position he was sprawled in. He hasn't had a slice of pie since before they arrived in Arizona and he felt like he was suffering through withdrawal. A tap on his shoulder made Dean turn around again. His mouth slowly began to hang open and saliva threatened to ooze off his lips as Aziza presented a stack of plastic containers, each holding a single slice of pie with flavors different from the last, to him.

 **"I didn't know what your favorite kind was, so I just got one of everything."** She told him, smiling at his expression and how Sam looked like he was playing a solo game of Twister.

Dean managed to lean over his seat to give Aziza a hug and while she was laughing, Sam pulled the car over to the side of the road. He pushed Dean over the seat, making the older brother fall into the back, and settled himself behind the driver's wheel. Dean happily enjoyed a slice of blueberry pie, then he noticed the colored cards spilled on the floor. After cleaning his hands, he gathered them and asked Aziza if she wanted to play a few hands with him.

Sam had almost driven them near the border of New Mexico, around Cimarron, and until night came. They stopped at another gas station to get some coffee because neither brother wanted to stop for the night when they were so close to Colorado. They both asked Aziza if she'd be comfortable sleeping in the car and thankfully, she didn't have a problem with it. Along with their coffee, Dean had picked up a blanket for Aziza to wrap up in.

Sam had gotten back behind the wheel and told Dean to get some sleep while he drove, promising to wake him when he got too tired. Dean decided to sleep in the passenger seat to give Aziza more space in the back and drifted off.

Sam was drinking cups of coffee to keep him awake as he drove, but he had to stop for a bathroom break. When he was getting back in the car, Dean had woken up and said he'd drive them the rest of the way. While they were switching seats, Aziza had halfway woken up too and Sam thought she looked adorable with bedhead. He got into the back with her and she decided to use him as a pillow, not that Sam minded. His long legs were stretched diagonally into the passenger seat and Aziza's head was on the front of his shoulder. As Dean began driving, Sam wrapped his arm around Aziza's shoulders and easily fell asleep.

 **SN*SN*SN*SN***

 **"You never take that thing off, do you?"** Dean asked Aziza as he finished off the eggs on his plate.

They made it to Colorado early this morning and Dean let everyone get some more sleep in before they reached Aziza's cabin. When everyone woke up, Aziza guided them to a trucker stop where they could freshen up and get something good to eat for breakfast.

Sam had finished eating his ham and cheese omelet first and gone to the bathroom, leaving Dean and Aziza sitting across from each other. She looked up from what was left of her strawberry Belgian waffles with a swirl of whipped cream and furrowed her brows at his question. He used his fork to point at the purple around her wrist. He just noticed the jewelry when they were eating and the silver angel wing charm dangling from it.

 **"It keeps me safe."** She told him, grasping the wing charm. **"Gabe made it for me. It's how he always knows where I am. He said it keeps me from getting possessed by Demons and whatever powers a pagan God has. I think I'm bulletproof against an Angel's force too."**

 **"Can you fly?"** Dean honestly wondered and Aziza let out a little laugh. **"Seriously, I'm gettin' this Super Girl vibe from you now."**

Aziza shook her head at his question, but stretched her arm over the table to let Dean inspect the jewelry and he cupped her wrist in his hands. Most of the charms were silver, but there was purple decorating them too. They were mainly stars, flowers and there was a heart-shaped lock connected to a key with a heart-shaped bow.

Dean didn't see not one religious charm on the bracelet. No crosses or pentagons or the anti-possession sigil. He didn't know Enochian as well as Cas or Sam did, but he didn't see anything like that on the bracelet either. It just looked like a normal piece of jewelry.

When Sam came back, slightly frowning at his brother touching Aziza, he told Dean that there was a Hunter passing through, Zeke, and he wanted to talk to him before they left. Dean dropped some bills on the table, sent a wave to the choppy-haired brunet waiting for Sam, then exited the trucker stop with Aziza.

Dean was just about to open the door for Aziza to get in when he heard her yelp. He didn't want to cause a scene, so he pulled his knife instead of his pistol and was ready to shank something to death.

But Aziza was giggling in the arms of her assailant.

 **"Nice to meet you, Cradoe."** She laughed, but the man just gave her a squeeze and made her laugh again. Dean couldn't see his face because Aziza's body was blocking his view.

 **"You are absolutely perfect!"** Cradoe happily proclaimed. **"And beautiful and fantastic and divine and lovely and just- oh, perfect!"**

After another long minute of hugging and giggles, Cradoe set Aziza down on her feet. Dean's jaw dropped at the sight of the man. He looked to be an even 6 feet tall with bright cyan eyes, but his hair, his creamy, platinum blond locks that were as long as his frigging arms with a Finnish plait dangling under his left ear, made Dean think that he was a new breed of Angel.

Cradoe held up a finger to signal Aziza to wait, then he put both hands behind his back. With a smile that could envy the brightness of the sun, his hands returned to his front and he was holding a bouquet of flowers. Aziza was gaping and awing over the flowers the second she saw them. Red Roses and salmon-pink Peruvian Lilies blended perfectly with the ruffled, Amaranth-red Carnations sitting in a ruby vase.

 **"They're beautiful."** Aziza awed as she took the flowers.

After another round of prolonged hugs, Cradoe detached from Aziza for good, but he was blowing her kisses and waving as he went on his way. Dean was still trying to process seeing a man with hair longer than Sam's.

 **"What just happened?"** He managed to ask Aziza, who seemed totally unaffected by that affectionate encounter.

 **"Oh, nothing. That was just a Cupid."** She waved Dean off, gently stroking the petals of the flowers. **"Whenever I pass through town, at least three of them run up and hug me and give me flowers. It's really sweet."**

Dean remembered his own encounter with a very naked Cupid and how the damn thing wouldn't stop hugging him. Cas had told them that hugging was how Cupids greeted people, their 'handshake.' He wasn't sure why Cupids would be drawn to Aziza though. An Archangel was one thing, but Cas had told him that Cupids were harmless and probably the weakest beings of Heaven. They didn't fight, they just spread love.

 **"Have you met before?"** Dean asked as Aziza climbed in the backseat. He leaned on her door as she shook her head.

 **"Nope, that's the first time I've seen that Cupid. I just…knew. It was kinda like he was wearing a nametag. Just like I knew Castiel's name."**

Aziza looked like she was trying to figure out how she could've known Cradoe when that was their first encounter, so Dean didn't pry anymore. He got behind the wheel and they waited for Sam to join them.

When they were on the road again, Aziza was giving them directions to her cabin. She told Dean to take a dirt road that was just off Main street and not to turn at all because those roads would just loop back to town. It was a long ass road for sure and Dean counted four turns that he could've made, but he didn't.

Sam was sitting up front again and Aziza was still admiring her flowers from Cradoe when Dean heard the song lowly playing on the radio. He cranked the volume higher so that the car was filled with the beginning strums of _Night Moves._

 **"Dean, please don't."** Sam begged from beside him.

 ** _"I was little too tall, could've used a few pounds,"_** Dean sang, patting Sam on the stomach. **_"Tight pants points hardly renown,"_**

 **"You're embarrassing."** Sam lowly muttered to his brother, sneaking a glance in the rear-view mirror to see if Aziza was watching. And, of course, she was

 ** _"She was a blonde-haired beauty with big blue eyes,"_** Dean reached into the backseat and fluffed a portion of Aziza's hair, then pinched her cheek, earning a sweet giggle from the girl. **_"And points all her own sittin' way up high, way up firm and high"_**

Dean was in his own little world, nodding along to the song. He didn't need to open his eyes to know that Sam was reaching for the dial to turn the music down or to a new station and he smacked his brother's hand away.

 ** _"Out past the cornfields where the woods got heavy, out in the backseat of my '60 Chevy,"_** Dean opened his eyes when he realized the lyrics didn't fall from his lips. He looked at Sam and thought that his brother had joined in like he usually did, but Sam was looking at Dean with the same perplexed expression. Turning to look in the backseat, they saw Aziza grooving to the music. **_"Workin' on mysteries without any clues,"_**

She pointed to Dean and on cue, he sang the chorus with her and their smiles were wide and bright. Sam was sinking into his seat with the faintest shade of red on his cheeks and a tiny smirk on his face.

By the time _Night Moves_ had ended, the brothers could see a building in the distance. Dean had driven another minute before they felt the mighty rumbles and stopped the car. It felt like a goddamn giant was stomping around in the woods because the trees were shaking and the birds were flying out of them. Aziza tried to open her door, but before Dean or Sam could try to stop her, the car was being lifted. The Impala was then roughly turned around, rattling everyone in the car, and they were now facing what looked like some kind of rock wall.

Aziza managed to crawl into the front seats and over Sam's lap to stick her head out the window. **"Zur, put the goddamn car down!"**

And just like that, her demands were met. The car was slowly and gently returned to the ground and Aziza got out. Sam and Dean were still trying to understand what the hell just happened and forcing their breakfasts to stay down because it felt like they were just on a roller-coaster. They could hear Aziza scolding something, but her voice was coming from behind them.

Getting out of Baby, the brothers rounded the car, but neither of them were expecting to see what was there.

The trio of beings were easily 70 feet tall and made entirely of robust boulders that looked unbreakable. One large boulder made the torso and stomach while a smaller and slightly squarer stone sat on top of it to act as a head. They didn't have three-dimensional facial features, though they did have mouths and eyes that looked to be drawn on. There were a pair of full, dark circles acting as eyes and a straight line for a mouth.

Their arms and legs were made of dozens of smaller rocks and like the head, there was a smaller, almost perfectly round stone on the end to act as a palm with more little rocks to make five fingers. Each guardian had some kind of symbol on their torsos that looked as if it were burned into place, almost like some kind of tattoo. One had a mark that looked like an ancestor to the number seven, the next had one that looked like a 'P' and the last was a capital Omega from the Greek alphabet.

There seemed to be cracks or veins running throughout the entire body of the rock monsters and they were glowing Yellow in a portrayal that could only signify their caution or distrust.

 **"Guys, I'd like you to meet Eben, Panos, and Zur. They keep monsters away from the cabin."** Aziza introduced the Rock Guardians behind her. **"Obviously, Zur takes his job very seriously."**

Dean and Sam were still staring at the gigantic Rock Guardians, their jaws slack. Aziza smiled at their shocked expressions, but turned around when Panos 'called' her. He didn't speak or make a sound that the Winchesters could hear.

 **"What's wrong?"** She asked, but her expression changed to incredulousness as Panos relayed the problem to her. **"He left them here while they were still animated?"**

 **"Are they…you can talk to them?"** Sam asked, still unable to keep his eyes off the rock-beings.

Aziza nodded. **"They're telepathic and speak Enochian. And Panos just told me that _somebody_ didn't clean up his mess."**

Aziza told the trio of guardians to go back to their posts and they obediently did so. Zur retreated into the trees where he came from, Panos sat down and his arms and legs melded into his body to make him look like a big boulder, then he rolled away; Eben went in the direction of the cabin before disappearing behind the house.

Everyone got back into the Impala to drive the rest of the way to Aziza's cabin. The brothers were expecting Gabriel to have made their safe-house into something classy to fit his tastes and the home was. It looked more like a ski lodge in the woods than a cabin and they couldn't imagine what the inside was like.

Aziza didn't lead them to the front door. She followed a path that led around the house and to the open, woodsy backyard. There was a lake hiding behind the house and it looked like a pool party was going on. There were colorful tiki lanterns everywhere and all sorts of floats in the water, mainly shaped as donuts or pizzas. Prancing around the backyard were women in coconut bras and side-tie skirts wearing leis or having flowers in their hair. Some were playing limbo and others were splashing in the water. Body wise, they all looked exactly the same, but they had different skin, hair and eye colors.

 **"Do all these women live here?"** Dean inquired- no, he _hoped_ , as he drooled over all the women. Hell, Sam was gawking too.

 **"All these women are Barbie dolls that Gabe was _playing with_ , but he didn't put them back how he found them." **Aziza explained, shaking her head at Gabriel's antics.

One of the brought-to-life dolls walked past the trio, but stopped and backtracked. Her golden-brown hair fell in perfect waves to her waist and she had such pale olive eyes that they almost changed to gold when the sun hit them right. Her swimwear was a floral, two-piece bikini and there was a hot-pink flower in her hair.

 **"Ken, is that you?"** Teresa Rivera asked Dean though a smile. She didn't wait for him to answer and gave him a hug. She didn't seem to notice the low, happily sensual groans coming from Dean. She pulled back enough to smile at him again. **"I thought you'd never show up! I love your outfit, it's so…camper style. Tr** **ѐs** **chic."**

 **"I love your…everything."** Dean admired and that made Teresa give him another hug.

 **"He's not Ken."** Sam pointed out when the pair detached again.

 **"I am Ken!"** Dean defended, pointing a finger at Sam. **"My name is Ken Carson, I was born on March 11th, 1961, my best friend's name is Allan Sherwood and Barbie's my girlfriend."**

Both Sam and Aziza were staring at Dean in surprised confusion. Sam wanted to know when the hell his brother got the time to learn about Barbie dolls, but Teresa seemed convinced that he was the real Ken. She took Dean's hand and was calling over Midge Hadley and Christie, asking if they've seen Barbie.

 **"If you'll excuse me, I have an orgy to partake in."** Dean winked at Sam and Aziza, fully prepared to strip down to his boxers and enjoy the party.

 **"Oh, no! There will be no orgies today!"** Aziza objected.

She simply clapped her hands and just like that, all the Barbie dolls began to morph back into their miniature, inanimate forms. Some were floating in the lake; the rest were simply scattered on the ground. Dean was left holding Teresa in his hand as he pouted at Aziza.

She smiled at his heartbroken expression, but began picking up all the dolls and Sam joined in to help. **"Why don't you call Cas so we can get everyone situated in a room?"**

With a nod, Dean closed his eyes and thought of his Angel. **"Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray to Castiel to get his feathery ass down here."**

Dean usually kept his eyes closed until he heard Cas' wings flapping to signal that the Angel arrived, but he didn't hear it. Opening his eyes, he saw Aziza and Sam looking around for the blue-eyed Angel, but he was nowhere to be found. When they felt the stomping thumps on the ground and it looked like Eben was detaching from the stone wall that the water of the lake was falling off of, Aziza groaned.

 **"Panos, Zur, leave him alone!"** She called as she stomped to the front of the house, most likely having to rescue Castiel from the Rock Guardians because they could be big bullies when they wanted.

Like she suspected, Zur was taking his job way too seriously. Just like he grabbed the Impala, he had poor Castiel in his grip, but the Angel didn't seem scared. He looked curious as he scanned the large being, that was glowing red now just like Panos due to a supernatural being getting close to their territory, that had him 70-feet off the ground and locked in his sturdy grasp. He's never seen something like the Rock Guardians before, but he would have to get used to seeing strange things like this if he was going to be around Aziza.

After Aziza told Zur to put Castiel down, scolded him again and made the Rock Guardians go back to their posts, she finally led Dean, Sam and Castiel inside the cabin.

* * *

 _Eben:  
Hebrew name meaning 'stone of help'_

 _Panos:  
Greek name meaning 'a rock'  
_ **  
** _Zur:  
Israeli name meaning 'stone, rock, that besieges'_

* * *

I couldn't find a picture that portrayed how I wanted the Rock Guardians to look, but their inspiration came from Rockpile the Monster from the cartoon _Fangbone!_ This chapter was supposed to be up on Sunday or yesterday, but my Internet was being a butt, so I cranked out a long chapter for you guys.

Hope you enjoyed :3


	8. If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On

Aziza gave Sam, Dean and Castiel a full tour of the cabin and it really seemed like a rustic hostel rather than a place for two people to stay in. The living room wasn't huge, but it was big enough to host a party in and was a mix of West Coast contemporary and rustic décor. There was a stone fireplace with a flat-screen TV mounted above it, brown sofas, soft rugs and vintage, wooden end tables. They didn't spot a decapitated moose head mounted on a wall or a stuffed bear in the corner or a deerskin rug on the floor.

The kitchen was across from the living room and there was no wall or door separating the rooms. It was styled in a country farmhouse style and it had a breakfast bar. A small table was a few feet away from the patio door led that into the backyard and there was a wooden balcony built directly on top of the kitchen that overlooked the living room.

Before they headed upstairs to the bedrooms, Aziza led them to the end of the hall, behind the staircase, and there was a metal archway with a crimson-red bead curtain leading to stone steps that spiraled downwards. She informed the men that in the basement was a library full of all kinds of lore and spell books that Gabriel collected within his time on Earth.

Arriving upstairs, the men noticed that the patio over the kitchen was made into a smaller living room for the upper level. There was a loveseat, two armchairs with an end table between them and a small TV sitting on a coffee table. The hallway was adorned with umber doors leading to rooms and at the end were bay windows with cushioned seats and throw pillows on either side.

Aziza showed her guests her bedroom first. The brothers weren't surprised when they saw her romantically styled room. The cream, wooden panel walls, wheat carpet, tall four-drawer dresser, casement windows and double bed on a four-post frame with white, rose printed blankets. They were a little surprised to see the shining chandelier hanging over the bed, but Aziza told them that it was Gabriel's idea.

After Aziza showed them the two bathrooms and the closet, the men picked different doors to open as they decided which room they wanted. Dean hit the jackpot on his first try. The room he picked came with a stone fireplace similar to the one downstairs, two hopper windows, a queen-sized bed on a frame that looked to be made entirely of ashy-grey tree bark and a trunk for clothes at the foot of the bed. The plaid patchwork blanket and black leather armchair in the corner were what really caught his attention.

Three doors down from Dean's new bedroom, Sam had claimed a room. Like Dean's, the bed in his room was queen-sized, but his was on a sleigh frame. The pillows and sheet were wheat and there was a red gingham quilt folded at the foot of the bed. There was a horizontal slider window above the headboard and an armchair posted next to a low-set dresser.

Castiel simply watched the brothers picked their rooms. Sam's room was on the right side of Aziza's with one of the bathrooms separating them. Dean's was across from their rooms, about two doors away, and closer to the staircase. Cas didn't think he needed a bedroom because he didn't sleep, so didn't go looking for one.

Once everyone claimed a room and the boys moved their bags from the Impala into the house, Aziza encouraged them all to make themselves at home. Sam zipped off to investigate the contents of the library and Dean had called him a nerd, but Sam was already flying down the stone steps. Dean settled himself in the living room and was flipping through the channels on the TV. He was _very_ happy to see that all the Pay-Per-View channels were already paid for.

Cas decided to follow Aziza into the backyard as she checked for any stray Barbie dolls and he was asking about the Rock Guardians. She told him that they were Gabriel's creations and that he made them when she was a baby. She didn't know much about them, but she told Cas that they portrayed feelings through colors.

Red obviously meant angry or attack-dog mode, as Aziza deemed it. Yellow was cautious and no color was their way of being calm. They displayed different shades of Blue to show their level of sadness. The darker the Blue, the sadder they were, but that didn't happen often. When they were happy, their projections mimicked that of Northern Lights. Very rarely did the Rock Guardians portray their happiness. The last time Aziza remembered them displaying their varicolored projections was when she was a little kid and Gabriel conjured Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash from _My Little Pony_ for her birthday. The Rock Guardians must've thought it was cute.

When they came back inside, Cas joined Dean on the sofa and Aziza went into the kitchen. She rummaged around the cabinets for a tea kettle and while the water was boiling for her Chamomile tea, she made a pitcher of raspberry lemonade with a splash of Prickly Pear cactus juice for the guys. As she continued looking through the kitchen, she realized that she'd have to go grocery shopping soon because there was no way three Humans were going to survive off the bags of candy Gabriel kept the house stocked with. The only real food in the kitchen were condiments, herbs, spices and a loaf of bread that was a few days away from becoming a loaf of fuzzy mold.

Aziza sat at the breakfast bar, her flowers from Cradoe acting as a centerpiece, with a notepad and was taking sips from her teacup as she wrote a list of things she'd need to pickup. She was thankful that the Winchesters were here because she didn't have a car at the cabin. Gabe always zapped them everywhere or she rode her beach cruiser.

When Aziza finished with her shopping list, she went into the living room to see if Dean wanted anything specific added to the list. She knew he liked pie, so she made plans to bake one for him soon. However, there wasn't a Winchester in sight and Castiel was missing too. She went to the entrance of the library and called Sam, but got no answer.

Brows furrowed at where her guests could've gone, Aziza went to the window next to the front door and noticed that Baby wasn't parked out front anymore. She went back into the kitchen, grabbed a serving tray, filled three glasses with her homemade lemonade and made her way into the backyard.

Baby was parked on the side of the house, being shaded by it, and Aziza could hear Sam and Dean talking to each other under the clanking of metal tools. Dean was under the hood of the Impala, but she couldn't see Sam anywhere. Cas was sitting in one of the lawn chairs from near the lake and he was watching Dean, but he didn't have his trench coat on. The sleeves to his white dress shirt were cuffed up to his elbows and his tie was missing too. The Angel was intently watching Dean work on Baby.

 **"Dude, the books down there have lore on things I never even knew existed."** Sam's bodiless voice spoke. **"I don't even think Dad's heard about half the things in that library."**

 **"Sam, your nerd is showing."** Dean teased in a singsong voice, but Sam kept rattling on about the contents of the library and that made Dean chuckle. He was glad that Sam was happy.

Dean's hand patted around for one of the tools scattered on the ground near Baby's front tires, but he had to bring his head from under the hood to properly see what he was looking for. He noticed Aziza and came around the car.

The blonde almost let the tray fall out of her hands and she had to focus on how to breathe when Dean was standing there with his sweaty and very muscular torso, with brawny arms to match, bared for anyone to see. Aziza couldn't help but bite her lip at the well-built body of the man and she noticed the sole tattoo marking his pec. She recognized it as the anti-possession sigil. Her eyes dared to travel lower to where his jeans were under his hips, almost holding on for dear life.

Dean caught her staring, but he didn't say anything. He was smirking like the smug bastard he could be as he was reminded of his and Sam's ongoing bet. He also remembered Gabriel's warning about not getting their rocks off in the house or with Aziza. He respected the first rule, but Aziza was old enough to make her own decisions and it's not like it was mandatory for he or his brother to bed her to win the bet. It was just a competition to see who she'd show some romantic feelings towards first.

 **"Hey, Zia."** Dean purposely greeted her loud enough for Sam to here from his position under Baby and smiled. He snickered when he noticed that her eyes were glued to his abs.

He took note of the tray of glasses she had too. She put his pies in the fridge when he and Sam were unpacking, but there was a half-eaten slice of Banana Cream pie siting on the roof of the car with Castiel's trench coat and tie. Dean tried to give Cas an introductory lesson on mechanics, but the Angel said it all seemed very complex and that he'd rather just watch because he was a visual learner.

 **"Those for us?"** He inquired, still smirking at the blonde's blunt praise of his body.

Aziza finally stopped drooling like a monkey over a banana and a cluster of blinks made her look at Dean's eyes, but that was a bad idea because he was standing there with his stripper body and that charming goddamn smile and those gorgeous green eyes and she wanted to slam her head into the ground.

She tried to answer his question, but all that came out her mouth were broken stutters and she'd sometimes be pulled back to staring at his chest, only to repeat the whole cycle over again.

Dean's smile had practically split his face in two. He managed to see the pink flare on Aziza's face before she ducked her head down and stared at the cups. Balancing the tray on one hand, she grabbed a glass and held it out to Dean with a slightly trembling hand. Dean stepped closer to Aziza, almost impossibly close, to the point where she could probably lick the sweat off him if she wanted to and took the chilled glass. His fingers brushed against hers before he thanked her and took a few sips, trying not to laugh at how Aziza was watching his Adam's Apple bob.

Sam had slid from underneath Baby and shook his head at Dean's little game. Before his brother went back to tampering underneath the Impala's hood, he sent a wink to Sam as if saying he was in the lead. Sam huffed in return.

 _'Challenge accepted.'_ He thought.

Aziza turned around, still a flushed mess from Dean, and would've went searching for wherever Sam had managed to hide, but the younger Hunter was just a few inches away from her.

Just like Dean, Sam was shirtless and sweaty, but due to how tall he was, there was _so much more_ to look at. And again, Aziza's eyes grew a mind of their own and began to happily appreciate all Sam had to offer. There were some black smudges decorating his chest and arms, but she still saw that he had a tattoo to perfectly match Dean's. Unlike earlier, Sam's hair was tussled and damp with his sweat. Then, in a hypnotic gesture, he ran a hand through his hair and seemed to tame it in one motion because no stands were sticking to his face anymore; all his locks were pushed back and out of his face to highlight his hazel-green eyes.

And those sweet, dewy eyes, that were a stark distinction from the twin oceans of pure mischievousness and downright libidinousness that were Dean's emerald ones, were what made Aziza's heart melt and butterflies swarm in her stomach.

 _'Sweet Jesus, they're trying to kill me.'_ She thought to herself, wondering why good people had to suffer through such torment.

The same scene played out with Sam that it did with Dean, though Sam managed to chat with her about a few books down in the library that caught his attention. As he leaned on the Impala next to Aziza, he noticed how she couldn't keep eye contact with him for more than a few seconds and she'd always bite her lip when she looked away. That little trait was slowly beginning to make Sam go crazy. He wanted nothing more than to lean down and ease her plump lip from between her teeth with his own tongue and lips.

Aziza managed to escape from Sam without tripping over her own feet or spilling the remaining glass on the tray. Castiel sensed her presence getting closer to him and turned to her. She smiled at him and watched as his eyes seemed to brighten a few shades.

 **"Wanna try some?"** She offered the last glass on the tray to him, but mentally face-palmed. **"Oh, that's right. You taste molecules instead of flavors. I know a spell to give you the ability to taste, if you wanted to."**

 **"No more molecules?"** Cas asked like a child who couldn't pick a flavor of ice cream at a parlor and sought his parents' guidance.

Aziza smiled. **"No more molecules. Just yummy food."**

Castiel stood and asked Dean if he wanted him to stay and continue watching; the Hunter told him to go get his taste buds. He followed Aziza inside and to the kitchen. She pranced around the room, grabbing a bowl and various ingredients for the spell. Castiel recognized some of the ingredients as common components for spells, but others were some he wasn't used to seeing. He wondered if Aziza was a Witch, but he would've been able to sense the magic coursing through her.

When Sam and Dean came in, after Sam had pulled his brother away from the lake before he tried to do a cannonball, they had shirts on and joined Castiel in watching Aziza mix something in a bowl as she hummed something under her breath. The contents of the bowl looked like some kind of gooey, lime-green slop that kindergartners would play with at art time or something a swamp monster would regurgitate.

 **"Anybody willing to donate some DNA?"** Aziza asked, still stirring the goop.

Dean volunteered himself and flicked open his switchblade as he came around the breakfast bar. He had the blade on his palm, hovering over the bowl and ready to slice his skin.

 **"No, you masochist. No blood."** Aziza scolded, plucking the knife from Dean's hand and looking at him like he was crazy. **"Some hair will do, spit's better. Just no blood. Geeze."**

Dean gathered a generous wad of saliva in his mouth and squeezed it out of his lips, letting the string of white drip into the bowl. Sam made a noise of distaste. As Aziza began stirring the newest contribution, she sprinkled in a pinch of Myrrh and kept stirring until everything looked to be melded together.

 **"Why'd you need spit?"** Dean pondered.

 **"The most important ingredient is essence from something or someone who already has the sense of gustatory perception."** She tapped the spoon on the edge of the bowl, then rounded the counter. **"Castiel is gonna have a copy of your taste buds as his own, so he'll probably like most of your favorite foods."**

Aziza went to Castiel and told him to stick his tongue out. He did so and she started lathering the goop all over his tongue, making Sam and Dean squirm. Once all the goo from the bowl was spread on Cas' tongue, Aziza went back to the bar and began cleaning up her mess. The Angel, ever obedient, still had his green-coated tongue extended and Dean was so tempted to poke at the gunk to see if it felt like glue.

 **"Ut ood aye woo ow?"** Cas requested further instruction from the blonde.

 **"You can put your tongue back in, Cas."** She shook her head at him, returning the jars full of herbs and other elements back into their reserved cabinet. **"Try to smear that around your mouth as much as you can."**

Castiel did as he was told and used his tongue to smear the green gunk all over the inside of his mouth. He coated his teeth, the roof of his mouth and both cheeks with the sludge, but he didn't feel any different. He wondered if his mouth was going to start tingling due to being acquainted with these 'taste buds' Dean had talked about.

Aziza, Dean and Sam were all staring at Castiel, seeing his tongue make bulges in his cheeks or lips. He didn't look like he was experiencing any change and the brothers looked to a confused Aziza.

 **"Can you taste anything?"** She asked and Cas shook his head. The goop was a bit thick and he didn't think he'd be able to properly speak with it in his mouth. **"Maybe I didn't add enough Myrrh…"** Aziza thought out loud to herself. She was sure she'd gotten the recipe right and she was muttering the words of the incantation as she stirred. To signal the spell worked, Cas was supposed to be puking his brains out.

She was about to go down into the library and search for the book she learned the spell from when Castiel made a gagging sound. All eyes were on the Angel again as he made another hacking sound, like he was trying to cough up the goop. Cas quickly dashed to the sink and was coughing out the green gunk. Dean was snickering as the Angel frantically turned the water on and started rinsing the rest of the gack out of his mouth. Once it was all out, Aziza gave Cas a glass of her homemade lemonade and told him to have a taste.

Castiel was a bit wary of the liquid. If food tasted anything like that goop did, which could only be described as vomit, he wanted to stick with tasting molecules. He got an encouraging look from Dean and a thumb's up from Sam, so with a bit of hesitancy, he raised the glass to his lips and took a sip.

And for the first time in his long years of existence, Castiel was able to taste _flavors_.

The drink couldn't be described in one word because there were too many wonderful flavors mingling within the glass. Cas could taste the sweetness with a bitter tang from the raspberries, the citrusy sourness of the lemon and the watermelon-like tart splash of cactus juice. It was refreshing and a chill remained in the path the juice went to his stomach. Tempted, Cas fished out one of the ice cubes with his fingers and crunched it between his teeth. It didn't have much of a taste, just very cold water, but Cas loved it all the same.

 **"I think he likes it."** Sam smiled, watching as Cas was slowly, but greedily slurping down the rest of the juice in the glass.

 **"Well, here's an excuse to make dinner."** Aziza offered as she went to the fridge, stopping to refill Cas' glass with more juice. She opened the door and looked at the scarce amount of food inside. **"Is chicken okay? Or maybe you'd guys want steak? I can make a trip to the market."**

 **"Don't put yourself out for us. We're easy to please guests."** Dean told her with sincerity. The last thing he wanted, and he was sure Sam felt the same, was Aziza going out of her way to make everything perfect for them. **"Chicken does sound really good though."**

Sam added his approval for chicken as well and Cas was still enjoying his cup of juice, but he nodded at the idea too. Aziza shooed the brothers out of the kitchen and gave Dean a bag of peanut M&Ms to munch on while she was cooking dinner. She wanted Cas to stick around so he could get used to tasting things.

Sam all but dragged Dean down to the library and the eldest Winchester's brows rose in awe at how big the basement was. The room looked to span the entire length of the house and the light from the stained-glass lanterns hanging from mounts illumined the piles upon hordes of books. Some were tiny and pocket-sized, others were thick and part of a collection. The walls were all shelves housing books, but there were too many hardcovers to hold and the ones that couldn't fit were in piles.

Sam managed to navigate through this tiny world of books and to a desk where there were opened books on the top next to a lamp. He showed Dean the writings of lore that were in English and said he'd have to ask Cas if he could make some kind of Enochian to English translation guide because most of the readings were in the language of Angels, obviously because an Archangel had collected the pieces.

Dean and Sam read though the mystical books for what felt like days. They learned about some creatures that were strictly bound to Heaven, but most of them were extinct because they some of God's first creations and too flawed to properly function. There was a particularly thick book on Demonology that Dean wanted to take up to his room and now, the brothers were reading through the monsters of Greek mythology, both good and evil.

Sam was learning about the Charybdis, a sea monster who lived under a rock in the Strait of Messina and would swallow large bodies of water, then spat them out to create whirlpools that destroyed large Greek ships, and its next door neighbor that lived inside a rock, the Scylla.

Dean's attention had been captured by Typhon, the Father of All Monsters and deadliest monster in Greek mythology. He briefly wondered if Eve had shacked up with the snaky giant since she was the Mother of All Monsters. He was just beginning to read Typhon's battle with Zeus for reign over the cosmos, when he heard Aziza.

 _ **"Guys, dinner's ready!"**_

Sam looked up from his book and at Dean. As if on cue, both their stomachs rumbled, almost challenging the other as to who was the hungriest. Without a word, both brothers shot up from the desk and dashed to the staircase. As they climbed the stairs, they were constantly pushing and pulling each other in an attempt to get to the kitchen first.

To feed 3-fully-grown men, Aziza used the biggest bowl she could find to serve the Caprese chicken pasta using cellentani macaroni. As sides, there was a bowl of bacon-cheddar mashed potatoes and buttermilk biscuits. Since it seemed to be a favorite among the men, she whipped up another pitcher of Prickly Pear-Raspberry lemonade. With everything in the middle of the table, everyone could just dig in and take their fill because there was more than enough to go around.

Aziza and Cas were setting the table, but the Angel looked out into the living room when he heard the playful taunts and grunts from the brothers. Sam was the first to stamper into the kitchen, but Dean managed to snag the collar of his shirt and yank him behind himself. He ran into the kitchen and sat down in the first chair he saw. When Sam took a seat next to him and saw the spread on the table, they both let out a little groan at the savory smell emitting from the food.

Castiel and Aziza took their seats and the dishes were being passed around. Once everyone's plate was filled, nobody said a word to each other. Dean and Sam would utter little moans of happiness and appreciation as they hoarded food in their cheeks to make room for the rest on their plates. Aziza was watching the brothers eat and she couldn't stop smiling at how happy they looked. She looked at Castiel next to her and let out a little laugh when she discovered he was mimicking the Winchesters. His cheeks were full, but he was trying to stuff more food in his mouth.

 **"Is there more of this? I'd like more of this."** Dean finally spoke, pointing to the empty bowl that previously held the main dish.

 **"Sorry, Dean. There was only one pack of chicken breast."**

 **"If I buy a dozen packs of chicken breast, will you make this tomorrow?"** He offered and Aziza almost choked on a noodle.

 **"You want me to cook _a dozen_ packs of chicken breast for you?" **

**"Not just for me. Three for Sam, three for Cas and six for me."**

 **"I want four."** Sam negotiated.

 **"Too bad. I'm the oldest, so I get the most."**

 **"Actually, _I'm_ the oldest." ** Cas spoke up after swallowing everything in his mouth. **"Therefore, I get ten chicken breasts, Sam gets one and you get the other."**

 **" _Gula_ is a sin, Cas." ** Dean teased with a wave of his fork.

 **"As is _fornicatio_ , but I don't punish you and Sam for indulging in carnal desires."**

The brothers oohed at Castiel's sudden sassiness and that made Aziza giggle, being reminded of Gabriel. For the rest of dinner, the foursome talked about whatever came to mind, but the brothers reiterated the possibility of Aziza making the same meal for dinner tomorrow night. She told them that if Dean drove them to the market, they could pick up whatever they wanted and she'd make anything they asked.

 **"Soo,"** Dean drew out as he stood next to Aziza. Everyone finished dinner a minute ago and Sam had gone to take a shower while Castiel went into the backyard in attempts to talk to Eben. The pair were at the sink and Dean insisted on helping her clean the dishes, wanting to get a moment alone with her. He was drying while she washed and she glanced at him when he spoke. **"You and the Trickster have history."**

 **"Yep."**

Dean waited for Aziza to continue, but she just passed him a plate to dry. **"Wanna share any juicy details?"**

 **"Nope."**

 **"Fair enough."** He set the plate into the overhead cabinet and she handed him the cookie sheet she used to bake the biscuits on. **"He's the reason you know about monsters?"**

 **"Yep."** Another simple answer, no explanation or details. Dean didn't know if she just didn't want to talk about Gabriel or if the Archangel told her not to say anything.

 **"And he taught you how to exorcise Demons?"**

 **"Nope."**

Dean cocked an eyebrow at that answer. If Gabriel didn't teach her how to exorcise Demons without saying a word, how the hell did she get that Demon out of Rebecka?

 **"And you're not a Witch or an Angel?"** He continued prodding as he dried a cup.

 **"Nope."**

 **"But you have the ability to see Souls. And Cupids seek you out just to give you hugs and flowers. And you knew Cas was an Angel before I said anything. And you can control those gigantic rock-mates outside. And you can…un-animate toys, which means you can probably make them come to life."** He pointed out all the supernatural abilities she seemed to have, just wanting her to throw him a goddamn bone on what she was or why she was with Gabriel.

Dean finished drying the last plate and waited for Aziza to speak, but she didn't. Looking at her, he saw that she was just staring at the bubbles in the sink.

 **"You think I'm a monster."** She said softly, though matter-of-factly and it was next to impossible to detect it, but Dean caught the hint of sadness in her tone. **"Is that why you're here? You think I'm a new breed of monster, so you decided to tag along just to figure out what I am? Have Castiel give me some kinda angelic CAT scan when I went to sleep?"**

 **"I don't think you're a monster, but it'd help to know _what_ you are." ** Dean kicked himself in the ass when he heard what he just said and he felt even worse when he realized the acerbic tone his voice held. That was an automatic thing that happened when he was talking about monsters and he probably just made matters worse. He dropped the towel on the counter and went to put a hand on Aziza's shoulder. **"I didn't mean-"**

 **"I know what you meant."** She dismissed and dodged his hand, walking out of the kitchen.

Dean sighed and leaned on the counter, scrubbing his hands over his face. He didn't mean to sound like he was accusing her of being some bloodthirsty monster because she wasn't. She didn't know Kira's pack were Werewolves, she wasn't helping them hunt and she was honestly surprised and scared when she learned the truth about them. He just had so many questions about what she could be because like he said days ago, there was no way a Human could exorcise a Demon like she did and it seemed like the only source of that omnipotent residue Castiel detected could only have come from Aziza. He just had so many questions and the Hunter side of him was demanding answers.

 **"Really?"**

Dean's hands fell from his face when he saw Sam leaning against the fridge. His hair still looked a little wet, so he must've just got out of the shower.

 **"Shut up."** Dean grumbled, but Sam simply folded his arms over his chest. That was his 'I'm waiting for an explanation' gesture and Dean rolled his eyes at it. **"I thought she'd say something about the Archangel. Maybe she is Gabriel's kid and he put some next-level warding on her that's way above Cas' pay-grade. If that didn't work, I thought she'd say something we could look up in the library to figure out what she is. She put words in my mouth."**

 **"Dean, I really don't think she's anything evil. I'm not saying she's 100% Human either 'cause it's obvious she's not, but I doubt she's** **something we have to worry about. If she wanted us dead, she could've killed us in the alley or when we were at her house in Tuscon.** **"** Sam's words were warm and honest.

He didn't immediately scold his brother because he knew Dean's heart was in the right place. Sam wanted to know what Aziza was too, but flat out asking her wasn't going to get them the answers they needed. It was a natural instinct for them to need to know what kind of supernatural beings they were dealing with before they could trust it. He overheard their conversation too and knew Dean was trying to ease his way into the subject, but Aziza didn't budge at all.

Sam stepped out of the kitchen to look down the hall for Aziza, but she wasn't anywhere to be found. He glanced up at the balcony above him and wondered if she was sitting up there in the mini-living room. He went next to Dean and kept his voice low enough that only the two of them would hear his words.

 **"She was nice enough to let us stay here, so you can be cautious of her, but don't be two-faced."** Sam's words were still warm, but they held a sternness now. This was the time to chide Dean for what he said. **"If you're gonna be nice, be nice. If you want her at arm's length, keep her at arm's length. You can't smile at her one minute, then call her a monster the next. That's not fair."**

Sam knew this experience had to be like when Castiel entered their lives. Initially, Dean didn't trust the Angel at all and he was cautious, but grudgingly accepted whatever help and information Cas was willing to give. The Angel had to prove his loyalty for Dean to ease up around him, but Aziza was different. Cas couldn't figure out what she was when it was clear she wasn't just another normal girl and Gabriel obviously thought she was important.

Dean nodded at Sam's words, knowing his brother wouldn't have scolded him if he didn't do something wrong. Being reprimanded by Sam was a thousand times better than when John would tear him a new one over the smallest of things and explode when he made a big mistake. Sam was gentler, but stern enough to get his point across. He also knew that he owed Aziza a heartfelt apology.

 **"Water pressure in the shower is to die for."** Sam baited and smiled when Dean looked like he was about to climb the walls to get to the bathroom. He knew how much Dean appreciated a good shower. **"Towels and loofahs are in the closet, have a blast."**

Sam pat Dean on the arm and the older brother practically skipped upstairs to his room. Dean was still trying to accept the fact that he had his own bedroom that he didn't have to share with Sam. He was used to it, but Sam's always been a goddamn beanpole and his bony elbows would always stab Dean in the chest when they were kids.

Dean gathered his own shampoo and soap from the chest he was using as a dresser, which was perfectly sized to fit all the contents of his duffle inside, and stepped into the hall. As he was walking to the closet, he noticed Aziza's bedroom door was cracked open and he could partially hear her voice coming from inside. He thought Sam had gone to talk to her, but he didn't hear a second voice and figured she was on the phone.

Dean knocked on her door and after a beat, Aziza was there. He didn't give her a chance to say anything because he sincerely apologized for what he said in the kitchen and tried to make her understand that with being a Hunter, he was always cautious of any supernatural things he came across. He thought back to when Sam had trusted Ruby and how horribly things turned out in the end. That experience alone made it almost impossible to think that any of the monsters in the world could be trusted.

Before he left, Dean told Aziza that she didn't have to forgive him if she thought he didn't deserve it and expressed his gratitude for allowing himself, his brother and Castiel to stay with her.

He couldn't take a step away from her before she threw her arms around him and hugged him, telling him that he was forgiven.

* * *

I was inspired today, so here's another chapter :3

To **LoverOfArchangels** , I'm happy to have unintentionally added your last name into this story and I'm glad you're enjoying it! I can't remember the website I got the Rock Guardians' names from, but there were other origins and I think I did see that Czech meaning.

My mysterious **Guest** reviewer, you are a bottle of awesome sauce and I'm glad you like the Rock Guardians.

❤️ Huge thanks to all those readers Fav/Following too ❤️


	9. Divine Revelation

Sam and Dean woke up late this morning, which was out of character considering they were early birds. The combination of last night's dinner followed by an amazing shower and sleeping on memory-foam mattresses had to be the cause of their prolonged sleep. When they finally shuffled out of their rooms, Aziza was already up, seeming to be waiting for them.

With the lack of food in the place, they took a trip to the market and bought enough food to stock up the house, along with even more snacks to munch on. Aziza had even grabbed a bag of beef jerky. When they were checking out at the register, Dean had reminded Sam about that Hunter they were supposed to meet with because they might have a line on a Vampire nest. Of course, Sam didn't know what the hell his brother was talking about, but after some eye gestures to Aziza and Dean flapping his hands like wings, Sam played along.

They drove back to the cabin and while Sam and Aziza were putting the groceries away, Dean had gone looking for Castiel since he hasn't seen the Angel since last night's dinner. Cas didn't have a room, so Dean went into the backyard and found him sitting in the grass with Eben. Cas was talking to the Rock Guardian, who wasn't displaying any colors, in his Angelic tongue, but Eben wasn't responding in any way. Dean remembered what Aziza said about how they communicate, so he figured Cas could hear the Rock Guardian's responses in his head. He wondered if they've been talking all night and what about.

Dean informed Cas that he and Sam were headed out for an hour or so and that he wanted him to stay with Aziza to keep an eye her. Thankfully, Cas accepted this duty and didn't ask for details.

Before they left, Aziza whipped up bacon, egg and cheese bagels for Dean and Sam to have on the drive. The boys drove almost 2 hours to Cripple Creek, just to put some distance between themselves and Breckenridge. It didn't take long for them to find an abandoned mining building and they figured that was the best place for this to happen.

 **SN*SN*SN*SN***

After Sam checked the Enochian symbols surrounding the dish filled with ingredients for the billionth time, making sure they were just as perfect as the circle separated by four lines and the lit candles in each quadrant, he nodded at the setup. The brothers knew this ritual had to be perfect for it to work and they couldn't afford a single mistake.

Sam looked at Dean and got a nod from his brother. Taking the matchbook out of his pocket, he struck one of the sticks and tossed it into the bowl. As the flames sparked up, someone appeared a few feet away from Dean, but it didn't look like who they were expecting. Sam didn't know who the hell that was, but Dean did.

It was Dr. Sexy from _Dr. Sexy, M.D_.

 **"We know it's you, Gabriel. Take off the skin."** He told the disguised Archangel.

Gabriel didn't try to keep up his ruse and with a snap of his fingers, he appeared as his original Vessel. After Castiel's emotional outburst, he knew it was only a matter of time before the Winchesters were going to call him out on being an Archangel. He knew Aziza wouldn't out and tell the brothers because she knew he was hiding, but Sam and Dean were going to find out eventually.

 **"I know you didn't summon me just to gaze at my beautiful face."** Gabriel said as he took a few steps closer to Dean. He stopped when he was about 4-feet away. **"Spit it out. Why are you bothering me?"**

From behind his back, Dean had already lit his lighter and was cupping the flame with one hand. Swiftly, he brought the Zippo to his front and flicked it down at floor. A trail of fire began to ignite around Gabriel, trapping him in a ring of Holy Fire.

With the only pitcher of Holy Oil they had in the trunk, Dean and Sam had made more than one circle before the summoning because they didn't know where Gabriel would appear and they _had to_ trap him. They didn't want to ask Aziza to call for the gilded-winged Archangel because it was clear that she wasn't going to admit that Gabriel wasn't a Trickster and they didn't want to get on her bad side by pestering. She was probably protecting him like he was her. They didn't want to ask Castiel to summon Gabriel either because it was obvious that the divine beings had a history and that seemed like a touchy subject to Cas.

 **"So, here's the deal**. **"** Dean started as Sam began rummaging around in his duffle. **"You're gonna tell us what Aziza is and we'll let you go or you don't and we'll summon all the Angels we can and let them know you're alive."**

Gabriel scoffed at Dean. **"Let me out."**

 **"Start talking."** Dean countered, but Gabriel didn't say a word. He was calling Dean's bluff, but Dean was _far_ from lying. He turned his head to talk to his brother from over his shoulder. **"Sam, who should we invite to the 'Gabriel's not really dead' party?"**

 **"How about Ithuriel and Zephon?"** Sam offered, reading the first pair of names from the leather book in his hands. Yesterday, he found a tiny book hidden in a drawer of the desk in library that held the names of a lot of Angels. Some of them had lines going through them as if marking them dead and others had stars next to them to show some importance. Sam took a spot next to his brother and looked at the Archangel trapped in a ring of fire. **"Remember them, Gabriel? According to lore, they were the Angels you sent to Earth to find Lucifer and you probably made a break for it while they were gone. I'm sure they'd love to see you."**

As soon as Sam said those names, Gabriel knew the Winchesters meant business and he deadpanned. He wondered how the hell Sam managed to find that book in the chaos of the library. The book was a list of Angels who Gabriel thought would be on the search for him. Either way, both the lore and Sam were right, but he wasn't going to admit anything.

Gabriel slightly shook his head. **"That's cruel, Sam, even for a Winchester."**

 **"Hello, kettle. My name is pot."** The younger brother snarked. **"Tell us what Aziza is."**

 **"Why does it matter?"** Gabriel countered.

 **"We're protecting something that obviously isn't Human and that means she could be half monster. And that means she could snap and kill us."** Dean answered, his tone steely and dominant. **"You should've told us what she was before we left Arizona and even before that, you should've let us know you were an Archangel. You could help us put Lucifer back in his goddamn Cage!"**

Dean was wrong. So Gabriel had wings like Kotex, big deal. That didn't mean he could do anything to assist in locking Lucifer away again. Only his Father could imprison Lucifer in the Cage or Michael, but the first Archangel wasn't going to do that, not again. Gabriel knew that Michael was waiting for the day that Lucifer was released so that he could finish what they left incomplete so long ago. Michael wanted Lucifer dead and nothing could change his mind about that. Well…maybe she could…

Gabriel groaned. He really didn't want to tell the Winchesters about what Aziza was because they didn't _need_ to know. They should've just kept quiet and did what they were told like good guard dogs.

 **"Is Aziza a demigod? Maybe some of the Greek gods got pissed at each other and separated her from her parents."** Gabriel looked at Dean with confusion when he suggested that. Still, he didn't answer and Dean saw that as a challenge. If there was one thing Dean Winchester could do, it was push buttons and he had a feeling he knew how to push Gabriel's. **"Or maybe God had a tender, young Roni all to Himself and He forgot to strap up before game-time."**

 _"This is why you went to Hell."_ Sam thought to himself as he shook his head at his brother. He noticed how Gabriel was glaring at Dean now, but he knew his brother was just getting started.

 **"If that's true, it'd make sense why you're protecting her."** Dean continued. **"Daddy's lovechild is your little sister and you're hiding on Earth with her to play happy family 'cause Michael and Lucifer are busy trying to kill each other and Raphael's gotta front-row seat to watch the whole thing go down."**

 **"If you ever say something as blasphemous and _filthy_ like that about my Father again, you'll be using your mouth as your ass for the rest of your life." ** Gabriel could barely growl his words though his teeth, but the message got through.

Sure, his Dad made some mistakes and the biggest one was abandoning Heaven, but He did a hell of a lot of good too. He created _everything,_ including the asshole of a Human who just insulted Him.

 **"Geeze, grow a funny bone."** Dean mumbled.

 **"We're not going to hurt her, Gabriel."** Sam came to his brother's rescue and diverted the Archangel's attention to himself. **"She's good, angelic even. She hasn't hurt anybody and I doubt she ever will, but she still isn't from this world and you know that."**

Against how murderously irritated he looked, Gabriel was considering Sam's words. He never thought that the brothers would intentionally hurt Aziza and if they tried to, the Rock Guardians would stomp them into their graves or Castiel would protect her. Aziza wouldn't hurt anyone either. The girl didn't have a hostile bone in her body.

With a sigh, Gabriel figured that the only way he was going to get out of this confrontation without half of Heaven knowing he was alive was to spill the beans on Aziza.

 **"Do either of you meatheads have any idea what a Soulmate is?"** He asked, irritation heavy in his voice.

 **"It's a-"**

 **"Wrong."** Gabriel cut Sam off before he could even try to guess. As intelligent as Sam was, the Archangel knew he wouldn't have the right answer. **"A Soulmate is not the person you fall in love with and get married to. It is not the person you have babies with and grow old and wrinkly with. It's not the person of your dreams. A- no, _the_ Soulmate that you Humans have always wanted? The very inspiration fueling all the Cupids to set up matches made in Heaven? She's a blue-eyed little blonde named Aziza."**

 **"You're telling me that kid is a Soulmate?"** Dean questioned, clearly as confused as Sam looked. **"Aziza, the teenage girl, is a Soulmate?"**

 **" _The_ Soulmate, shit-for-brains. She's the only one in all of creation, exclusively exclusive." ** Gabriel corrected. **"Why do you think Cupids like her so much? They helped _make_ her. She's their perfect gift, an ethereal being born from the stars." **

Unless Gabriel's been secretly watching them, Aziza must've been checking-in with him while they were getting to Colorado. Dean wondered if Gabriel was who he overheard her talking to last night.

 **" 'Course, the Cupids don't know they made her because dear old Dad probably wiped their memories. That's the only thing that's been making sense."** Gabriel continued, ready to prattle on about everything he's learned about Aziza so far. **"Getting the scoop on Zi-Zi from the Cupids is like pulling teeth and their friggin' heads almost explode when they finally remember her. And when they see her, they just get the urge to appreciate her and it's actually déjà vécu because-"**

 **"Gabriel, shut up and rewind."** Dean cut him off, earning a glare from Gabriel, but he didn't care. He was trying to get a grip on what the Archangel just told them. **"Cupids made Aziza, God washed their brains. Got that much, but who is she supposed to be a gift for?"**

 **"Well, that's a stupid question. Which one of my brothers is supposed to be wearing your skin?"**

 **"Michael."**

 **"And…"** Gabriel trailed off, looking to Sam and motioning for him to finish his sentence.

 **"Lucifer."** Sam answered and Gabriel clapped.

 **"Ding-ding-ding! Somebody bring these lucky men a prize!"**

Gabriel shook his head at the Winchesters, but gave them a moment to let the information sink in. They were the first Humans in the history of mankind to know about the existence of the true Soulmate and be in her presence.

Dean shook his head, unable to connect the pieces to the puzzle **. "This doesn't make sense."**

 **"Actually, it does. Maybe that GED education of yours just makes it hard to comprehend simple things."** Gabriel sassed.

 **"You're a GED education. Shut up."** Dean fired back, making Gabriel scoff. He couldn't even come up with a better insult because his head was filled to the hilt with questions. **"She's _one_ girl, they're _two_ Archangels. They can't be expected to share her. They're destined to kill each other."**

 **"And she's _destined_ to play a huge part in who wins, but she doesn't want to and I'm not gonna force her to. She said, and I quote, 'Screw destiny right in its tight corn-hole.' Nothing's gonna make her cuddle up to either of my brothers." ** Gabriel elucidated, but he looked away from the brothers and down at the floor under the fire. He thought about how the fight between his own siblings was going to end and his heart ached at the thought. **"Maybe this way, without her being involved…they won't kill each other."**

Dean and Sam looked at each other when they heard how quiet and un-sassy Gabriel sounded. They only knew that Michael and Lucifer had some problems that, in their eyes, could only be solved by one of them dying. They didn't know how the relationship between Gabriel and Raphael or even Gabriel and the first pair of Archangels was or if there was bad blood brewing between all the brothers. Obviously, Gabriel left Heaven for a reason, but those questions could wait. Right now, they needed more info on Aziza.

 **"How does she contribute to the Apocalypse by being Michael and Lucifer's Soulmate?"** Sam asked Gabriel, making the Archangel take his eyes from the ground to look at him. He made sure to use a gentler tone because Gabriel obviously had some mixed feelings towards his brothers. **"Is she gonna be the spoils for the victor?"**

 **"Aziza's the adrenaline boost, the kick, the extra Steroids popped before the big fight. Whomever she decides to bond with, they'll be a zillion times stronger."** Gabe told them, waving his hand as he did. He paused for a moment and while he kept his expression impassive, his eyes were telling a different story, a tale of remorse. **"She's…the reason why the Earth's going to be destroyed. Her energy merged with Michael or Lucifer's…it's so powerful… _too_ powerful for a world to handle."**

 **"You're talking like you've seen this happen before."** Dean pointed out, but he was rewarded with silence. Gabriel had completely shut down and was locked in his thoughts.

Gabriel didn't actually _witness_ anything because Sam was right. After he sent Zephon and Ithuriel to scout for his brother on Earth, he made a break for it. God had already abandoned His post and Michael didn't even look like his brother anymore. He was so focused on killing Lucifer that nothing else seemed to matter. Michael wanted to go to Earth to find Lucifer himself, but Gabriel knew that would be the beginning of _another_ Apocalypse. Michael was still so furious and confused about Father leaving that in his mind, killing Lucifer would bring Him back.

It took an arm and a wing for Gabriel to get Michael to _listen_ to him and even then, he had to get Raphael to back him on letting Ithuriel and Zephon be the ones to search for Lucifer. As the eldest, Michael practically trained under their Father and he would know how to keep Heaven in one piece within their time of chaos. That was the bigger picture.

While Gabriel wasn't there to see what happened, he did listen in on the other Angels' conversations. He had to keep tabs on what they were doing about his disappearance and he was always updated on what was going on with his murderous brothers. After the initial wave of pandemonium slightly simmered down and Heaven was able to operate without God, he kept hearing remarks about Michael searching for something on Earth.

The eldest Archangel was hopping from meat-suit to meat-suit in pursuit of something. He basically pushed aside the thought of Lucifer to chase after whatever he deemed so important. None of the Angels knew what Michael was searching for and they didn't dare attempt to ask him. Michael was the Prince of Warriors and under God himself, he was the most powerful thing of Heaven. Angels were _terrified_ of him.

Then, there was silence. Nobody so much as whispered a comment on Angel Radio for what felt like decades.

Gabriel didn't know at the time, but the silence was due to one of Aziza's past lives, one of her firsts. He was partially mistaken when he thought that Michael was itching to get on Earth to kill Lucifer. That was his main goal, but he knew about his Soulmate and he was looking for her. Gabriel wondered if Michael presented Aziza to Lucifer as an olive branch, an attempt to be calm and civil. Or Lucifer could've found his Soulmate first and introduced her to Michael. Gabriel had absolutely no insight on how his brothers would handle being in a relationship, how they would act if they loved something that wasn't family, so he couldn't even guess if Michael or Lucifer would be better off than the other. The concept of bonding and having mates among Angels wasn't even thought of in Heaven until _after_ Lucifer had been put in the Cage.

Gabriel would never know who found Aziza first because not even the Cupids could remember what happened and Aziza couldn't remember the entirety of her past lives, only snippets that rarely came to her in dreams. He did know that Aziza sided with Michael in the end, but the only ones who would know exactly what happened before Lucifer was put in the Cage were his homicidal brothers. As much as he wanted to know what happened, Gabriel wasn't going to be asking either of them to tell him a story anytime soon.

Coming out of his thoughts, Gabriel realized that the Winchesters were waiting for him to answer.

 **"How do you think Lucifer got put in the Cage the first time?"** He asked Dean as if the answer were obvious, reverting back to his sassy nature. **"Michael might be the Prince of Warriors and he's gotta be the almightiest being currently in Heaven, but Lucifer's always been second best. Michael may have been strong enough to cast Lucifer out of Heaven, but he would've gotten killed trying to get Lucifer in the Cage by himself."**

 **"She is a teenage girl. How the hell could she have existed when the goddamn Devil was put in the timeout corner?"** Dean questioned.

 **"Don't call him that."** Gabriel's defensive tone towards Dean was bone-chilling; a glare inflamed with something hotter the fire burning around him to match that could make someone drop dead. Dean actually took an inconspicuous half-step back, regardless of the fact that the Archangel was confined within the ring of fire. Those eyes were intimidating as hell right now and he should know because his could be just as terrifying when something threatened to hurt his brother. **" _She_ wasn't there, her 'Soul' was. Which loops back to this whole _Soulmate_ thing I've been trying to drill into your titanium skull." **

Gabriel honestly didn't know what Aziza's life force was. He couldn't see her Soul, just the lavender shine of it, and that scared him for a second, but he realized that it was locked away from his sight. It was warded from an Angel's eye in the same way that an Angel's divine abilities would detect that she's just another Human. That had to be his Father's doing. Gabriel didn't know if she'd have Grace instead of a Soul because of her abilities, but there was no way for him to find out.

 **"So God, your Dad, wanted Lucifer and Michael to kill each other and He asked all the Cupids to make Aziza just to give one of his sons an advantage?"** Dean quizzically summarized, questioning God's parenting skills.

 **"He wanted things to end peacefully and thought that creating her was the best course of action."** Gabriel was quoting all the Cupids he's talked to over the years now, telling the Winchesters what they told him. **"His intentions were for Lucifer and Michael to love one thing so much that they wouldn't even think about killing each other. He thought that she and Michael would be able to convince Lucifer to be good again or that Lucifer would love her enough to ask for His forgiveness."**

 **"What went wrong?"** Sam inquired.

 **"Like Dean said. Siblings sharing something, _brothers_ sharing a girl? Not a good idea. That'll only end with something getting broken." ** Gabriel shook his head as he said that. He knew that his brothers were responsible for Aziza dying in her earlier lives. She probably tried to keep the peace and got caught in the crossfire. Gabriel gave the brothers a few minutes to let all that information sink in, then he clapped again to get their attentions and pointed to the Holy Fire burning around him. **"Well, girls, I've shared my juicy gossip. Can we ditch the campfire now?"**

 **"Sure, right after you swear not to zap us to TV Land or mess with my Baby or kill us when we do."** Dean stated, much to Gabriel's disappointment because he pouted.

 **"I thought you were the fun one, Dean."** Gabe bat his eyes at the older brother, but Dean wasn't joking. He'll be damned before he lets Sam go through another traumatizing loop because of the Archangel. Seeing Dean's seriousness, Gabe let out a puerile groan. **"Fine. I swear-"**

 **"On Aziza."** Dean interrupted and Gabriel narrowed his eyes at the older brother.

 **"I swear on Aziza that I won't make your lives a living Hell if you let me go _right now_." ** Gabriel promised and just for kicks, he crossed his heart. Dean nodded to Sam and the younger Hunter retrieved a fire extinguisher from his duffle. Sam circled Gabriel and was dousing the fire with the white foam. Once he was free, Gabriel stretched his legs out with a sigh, smiling.

 **"We'll keep protecting Zia. As of now, she's our top priority and we won't let anything happen to her. No monsters, Archangels or Angels, except Cas, are gonna come anywhere near her."** Dean ensured the Archangel, but Gabriel simply cocked an eyebrow. He wondered if the brothers would treat Aziza any differently now that they knew what she was.

Dean turned and picked up their duffle before heading out of the building, pulling his phone out to dial Cas. Sam had lingered in the abandoned room with Gabriel and the Archangel was waiting for the Human to say something because there was obviously something on his mind.

 **"Is there a difference between a… _the_ Soulmate and the love of your life?" ** Sam finally asked, using this moment of civility to his advantage. He was thinking of the right way to word his question to get the answer he wanted.

 **"Other than nobody except my brothers being able to have the former?"** Gabriel answered Sam's question with a question, but seeing Sam's expression, how he looked like he earnestly wanted to know, Gabe stopped his games. **"As Humans, you have the authority to choose the love of your life, the kind of person you find attractive, but the Soulmate doesn't have that option. From what I've learned, she's only able to fall in love with one being, but I don't think it's love if she's got no say in the matter."**

Sam nodded at Gabriel's words, but he was back in his thoughts. Neither he or Dean have made a major impact on Aziza, but he wondered if she'd even fall for their little flirts if she was destined to love Lucifer. She was with Jude when she was in Tucson, but Dean had told Sam that she didn't love him. That must mean she can pursue relationships at her own will, but she wouldn't love who she was with.

 **"Since you found that list of Angels, I'm sure you can find my journal in the library, should be in the desk. Everything I've learned about her from the Cupids is written in there."** Gabriel spoke, interrupting Sam's thoughts. He looked at Gabriel with another question in his eyes and the Archangel rolled his. **"You look like a puppy begging for table scraps. What, Sam?"**

 **"Dean and I are Michael and Lucifer's true Vessels. In some way, we must carry something of them with us, right?"** Sam questioned and Gabriel nodded. **"Is that why she's so comfortable around us? Maybe our Souls remind her of them."**

Gabriel simply smirked at Sam. He knew the answer to that question, but he wasn't going to tell the younger Hunter. If he and Dean wanted answers, they'd have to ask Aziza themselves.

Without a word, Gabriel disappeared and Sam huffed at his sudden departure.

Sam finally exited the building and found Dean leaning on the hood of the Impala with his phone to his ear. He raised an eyebrow in question and Dean waved him off as if saying he didn't want to know.

 **"Yes, Cas. I remember what you said about when you were a bumblebee."** Dean responded, sounding like a worn-out husband talking to his wife. Sam actually snickered at the thought. **"But what does that have to do with Aziza? Did she...wait, wait. You left the house?"**

Dean ran a hand over his face as he listened to the Angel, but he must have been getting unimportant answers because he looked like he just wanted to hang up on Cas, but he didn't. Dean let Cas finish saying whatever it was he was going on about, then said that he and Sam would be in Colorado soon.

The brothers got in the Impala and as Dean looked behind him to pull out, he was greeted with Gabriel's form lounging in the backseat. The Archangel was reading one of Dean's _Busty Asian Beauties_ magazines while he plucked chocolates from the box settled on his chest. Gabriel peered over the top of the magazine, then snapped his fingers.

When Dean turned around, he noticed that they were back in Colorado and Gabriel had gotten out of the car before either brother could ask what was going on. They followed Gabriel down the street and Sam was the first to notice the burned grass being bordered by the curb. Dean spotted the charred transformer mounted on a telephone pole and the severed distribution line.

Castiel stood in the burned, dry grass with his back to the approaching trio and his trench coat lightly blowing in the breeze. He turned when he sensed their presences, but went back to watching whatever was in front of him. The men took a place next to Castiel with Dean on his left and Gabriel on his right. Now, they could see the blackened grass and what was left of a tree. There was only the blackened trunk it that was about 3 feet tall. They could see Aziza standing before the scorched wood, but they couldn't see her face.

 **"There was an electrical fire today."** Castiel said more so to the brothers than Gabriel because the Archangel knew what Aziza was doing. **"That used to be an apricot tree, but it was severely burned from the fire. It was 75-years-old and still producing fruit when it should've stopped years ago. The people here took care of it and it served as a neighborhood emblem. Many of the residents were sad to see it go."**

 **"What's she doing then?"** Dean asked.

Cas actually pulled a smile as he turned to look at the Hunter. **"She's going to heal it."**

Dean's brows were furrowed in confusion at Cas' response, but the Angel just went back to watching Aziza.

The men watched as the blonde circled what was left of the tree and she had her hand on it, seeming to be feeling for something. She was facing them when she stopped and the hopeful smile on her face must've meant that she found what she was looking for.

With that bright smile, Aziza wrapped her arms around the blackened remains of the tree and simply hugged it. Nothing happened. She kept hugging the tree and the brothers were waiting for the healing to commence, but it didn't look like anything changed. Castiel's hand went to Dean's shoulder and the older brother looked down. Unlike before, the dry grass they were standing on wasn't blacked from being on fire anymore. It was green and the green was growing, as if a little army of tiny fern-green people were running away from them and towards Aziza.

The men watched as the green continued to dominate over the patch of land that had been burned by the fire and when they reached the remains of the tree, they watched as it lightened from charred-black to a healthy shade of chocolate-brown.

And from the remains, more of the tree was revived.

It was like watching a time-lapse video of the growth of a tree from sapling to adulthood. The restored bark and outstretched branches grew to about 20 feet in height, maybe a bit higher. Then, like popcorn in a microwave, puffs of white flowers with Amaranth-pink staining a circle around the ovary began blooming on the branches. From those flowers, orbs of coral and chrome-yellow began sprouting until the entire tree was bearing ripe, juicy apricots begging to be picked.

Aziza detached from the fully restored apricot tree and some of the white petals were gracefully falling around her, making her look like she was strolling through a Cherry Blossom festival. She heard a few of the branches creaking, then she saw the ball of orange dropping down to land in her hands.

 **"Oh, thank you."** She smiled at the tree.

Gabriel was smiling at Aziza and remembering all the times she's stopped to heal people or nature. That's all she really wanted to do and it made her so happy. Dean and Sam, on the other hand, were finding it hard to believe that Aziza was anything other than Mother Nature or her daughter. Castiel was probably the most elated to discover that Aziza had the ability to heal things, much like he did. Cas couldn't heal anything other than animals and people, but Aziza could probably remedy the entire planet if she wanted.

Aziza was coming over to the men and she was digging her thumbs into the apricot to split it, finally separating the fruit when she was just before the men. She gave Castiel one half and wanted to see how he'd react to tasting a new fruit, but her attention was pulled to Gabriel and the Winchesters. When she looked at her Archangel, he nodded as if to answer the questions in her mind. The brothers knew what she was and that meant they knew Gabe was an Archangel.

She knew the brothers must have questions for her and Cas still had to be enlightened, so they were going to go home, she was going to make some tea and they were going to have a long chat.


	10. Blended Family

**_'Father's left me with a child._**

 ** _I don't know if it was a coincidence or destiny, but I found her and left her with a Human couple. And later that same night, He brought her back to me. Father wants me to protect this child.  
_**

 ** _Her name is Aziza and she's just perfect. She likes to pretend that she's a Princess with her own kingdom, Zeallegon. She's so creative. And she knows how to scratch this spot on my wings that I've been trying to get for decades. _**

**_Even with her spontaneous growth, I'm not worried about taking care of her at all. Human children and putti aren't as different as some would think. My only problem is that I don't know what she is. _**

**_She looks and acts like any other Human, but she can't be. He wouldn't have left her with me if she wasn't important. He left a note too. I can't understand what He's trying to say because Father never writes things as they are, always biblical encryption. I've been studying that letter for weeks and I've only gotten a single clear translation._**

 ** _Aziza has something to do with Lucifer. I know that for sure. Father mentioned 'the Star' rising and the only thing that made sense was Lucifer, the Morning Star, being released from the Cage. He also mentioned Aziza being 'a reflection of her beloved' and that's yet another question I have to find an answer to. What her purpose is and how it involves Lucifer is what I'm trying to figure out._**

 ** _I've been watching her memories when she's asleep, but I can't tap into her very first rememberings. It's like they're locked away. I guess Dad told her some secrets that He doesn't want anybody else to know._**

 ** _As of today, Aziza is about 7-years-old. She loves flowers, so tomorrow, I'm going to surprise her with a trip to the Hitachi Seaside Park in Japan.'_**

Sam was in the overstocked basement again, sitting at the desk. He spent all morning searching for Gabriel's journal because it wasn't in the desk like the Archangel said. It was hidden in a bookcase with books on Slavic mythology.

After Gabriel told them that Aziza was the one, true Soulmate of Michael and Lucifer, they came home and enlightened Castiel on what she was. After that, they all sat down in the living room with cups of strawberry leaf tea, because Aziza had said that was Castiel's favorite, and talked.

Aziza told them everything she knew about herself, which turned out to be everything Gabriel told her he learned from the Cupids. She couldn't remember anything about Michael or Lucifer, but she expressed that she didn't want anything to do with either of them and that she wasn't going to bond with them either. She didn't want to be involved in the Apocalypse the Archangels obviously wanted to happen because she didn't want millions of people to die all because of a family feud.

Aziza said all she wanted was to live a normal life without Michael or Lucifer and she's been doing that with Gabriel so far. She's never met Lucifer or Michael and she even doubted they would think about her when they were so focused on killing each other.

That conversation happened 3 days ago and just 2 days later, Dean, Sam, Castiel and Aziza were driving to Miami, Florida to investigate the sudden temperature drop. It was 50 degrees in the coastal city, which was strange considering the daily average was 75 and up. Aziza was used to going Demon hunting and she knew they were responsible for the temperature drop as well as the handful of 'accidental' deaths happening there.

Like she said, the cause of the climate change and death toll was due to a pair of Crossroads Demons, a couple actually, who teamed up and their little posse of henchmen they sent out to collect Souls earlier than their due date. When confronted, the red-eyed Demons said it was their way of cashing out before Lucifer destroyed the world.

Aziza proved to be a great addition to Team Free Will because she had her trusty Super Soaker filled with holy water and she was absolutely fearless as she exorcised the Demons. Two of them had actually kneeled and called her their Queen, tried to persuade her to let them escort her to Lucifer. Then, they realized who Sam was and they were all for kidnapping the pair, but Dean and Castiel weren't having any of that.

They spent another day in Miami to ensure there weren't any more demonic presences and they took a fun trip to the beach too. The Winchesters have never had the chance to visit Miami Beach, so this trip was extra special for them. Sam couldn't take his eyes off Aziza when he saw her in her purple bikini. Thankfully, Dean had distracted Castiel by teaching the Angel how to make sand castles, so Sam had Aziza's full attention for most of the day. Every time he made her smile, he felt like all was right in the world. Since he had his shirt off for most of the day, he caught her sneaking peeks at him and she was biting her lip again, effectively driving Sam to insanity. She even told him that he was the lovechild of Hercules and Thor, which made Sam laugh. Dean stole her away with claims of knowing how to surf and to Sam's surprise, his brother actually knew how to ride the waves like a beach baby.

They'd gotten back to the cabin last night and today was going to be an R&R day, so after breakfast, Sam had retreated into the library in search of Gabriel's journal. He did take a break from searching to grab a snack and he went searching for the other occupants of the cabin.

Castiel must've been talking with Gabriel or off doing whatever it is he did when he wasn't with the Winchesters. He heard music, _Farewell, Stars_ by Message to Bears, and followed it to the source. Aziza and Dean were in the backyard and Sam almost choked on a Jolly Rancher when he witnessed his brother doing yoga with the blonde. Aziza had to tweak his position sometimes, but Dean was mimicking the poses she made without complaint.

Sam flipped through a few pages of the journal and noticed they were filled with the day-to-day things Gabriel and Aziza did. They sounded like a happy family and Sam would've said they were a normal one too, but normal families don't conjure Godzilla to climb the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington for fun. Sam noticed that they were moving almost on a weekly basis too and Gabriel had commented on how he knew Aziza didn't like how much they moved around, but that he had to keep moving to keep her safe. Sam could definitely relate to how she felt.

 ** _'I don't want to write this, but I have to._**

 ** _Aziza was about 10 or 11. It's hard to know exactly how old she is. She likes casting spells and creating things. She's so good it at too. She was asking for a pet, but she didn't want a cat or dog. She wanted a special pet, a mythic one. We looked through some old books and she conjured a Qilin or a Chinese Unicorn._**

 ** _I thought it was a good idea. Qilin were good omens and it reminded me of Aziza. The creature was dovish and it wouldn't hurt anything, not even a fly. I mean that literally too. A fly got into the house and the Qilin caught it in its mouth, but it didn't eat it. It let it fly out a window._**

 ** _It's said that Qilin only punish the wicked and I believed it to be true today. We took the Qilin out for a walk and I made it so that in the eyes of a Human, it was invisible. No need to draw attention. We stopped to get ice-cream from a passing cart and I heard the Qilin growl for the first time._**

 ** _It must've sensed an iniquitous spirit because it went to fulfill its purpose. It ran across the street and Aziza chased after it before I could stop her._**

* * *

 ** _I saw it again today. Her falling. I almost didn't believe it._**

 ** _I went to General Sherman, just like when I found her the first time, but she wasn't there._**

 ** _She's out there somewhere and I have to find her._**

* * *

 ** _It's been 2 weeks since I saw her falling and I tracked down Aziza today. She was in Washington. In my spare time, I've made a music box for her to listen to that will make her remember me._**

 ** _Another Angel found her, Hadraniel. He had her in a little apartment with all the toys a kid could ask for, but she looked miserable. She was 5-years-old again. She told him that he was the wrong Angel and that she wanted to be with hers. She told him that her Angel had golden wings._**

 ** _To this day, I still don't understand how she could've remembered me without listening to the music box._**

 ** _What she did to Hadraniel is something I can't explain either. He must've realized that she was talking about me and he told her that I was dead. She started crying. Hadraniel tried to calm her down, probably hug her. She touched his face and he was gone as if someone had expelled him with a banishing sigil._**

 ** _Aziza forced out an Angel out of its Vessel with a touch._**

 ** _How?_**

 ** _I have no idea._**

 ** _She's held my hand and hugged me a million times, but I've never been forced out of my Vessel or felt any pain._**

 ** _When I appeared, the way she looked at me, the amount of happiness that filled her eyes and how she told me she missed me, it made me feel like I was on top of the world._**

 ** _Aziza's sleeping now. We're staying at a hotel until I find somewhere nice for us to live._**

 ** _After this entry, I'm going to start working on some kind of tracking tag for her. After I saw her falling, I tried almost every location spell I knew to find her, but nothing worked._**

 ** _I need to figure out what she is.'_**

Sam paused after reading that. He didn't understand what Gabriel meant when he said he saw Aziza 'falling' after that Qilin incident. It sounded like he was implying that she died because she was 10 or 11, then she was a 5-year-old. Sam knew that Archangels were the most powerful things in Heaven and he wondered if Gabriel's ever resurrected Aziza.

He flipped through a few more entries, stopping to read some to see if they'd clear up some confusion. Most of the pages were of memorable days where Aziza did something amazing or if Gabriel took her to some beautiful place in the world. There were pages where monsters that harvested or fed on Souls were dead-set on capturing Aziza and how Gabriel had been a one-Archangel army in protecting or rescuing her, then moving to a new State just to be safe.

There were about four pages reserved for Aziza's first contact with a Demon and how it was going insane because of a voice in its head. The Demon was saying that someone wanted Aziza and that they had to bring her to him. Sam remembered everything from when they first encountered Aziza and how she exorcised that Demon without saying a word. The Demon did say something about hearing someone screeching in its head and that if the voice wanted her, Aziza knew how to make it stop.

Gabriel's notes were more detailed about the Demon encounters and he briefly wondered if Aziza was a Fallen Angel due to her powers, but he dispelled the thought as it didn't make sense and he claimed to know every Angel in existence, fallen or not. He mentioned that the only being he knew of that could exorcise Demons similar to the way Aziza did was the Father of Murder himself.

The entries got a bit hysterical after that. Gabriel was terrified at the mere thought of Aziza being connected to Cain in any way and he seemed like he was trying to convince himself that she wasn't. He mentioned the Morning Star from the letter Aziza had from God again and how Cain had killed Abel because his brother was communicating with Lucifer, mistakenly thinking that the first Fallen Archangel was God.

Gabriel kept writing that there wasn't an ounce of evil within Aziza and that she cared for life so passionately, that killing was something she refused to do. He went on to say that if Cain had ever impregnated someone or something, Heaven would've known the second his spawn was conceived and they would've handled the situation immediately.

When Sam flipped to the next page, he found that the next 5 or 6 leafs had been torn out of the journal. He figured that Gabriel got too emotional.

Before he could read the next entry, the dinging of a bell made Sam's eyes snap up from the journal and he noticed a silver bell jerking in place. With how much time they spent reading through the hordes of lore, Aziza joked about putting a bell in the library to let the brothers know when there was something to eat, but he didn't think she was serious.

Sam could feel the pool of saliva fill his mouth as he quickly shot up and banged his knee on the desk in the process. He didn't care though. Whatever Aziza cooked was worth the pain.

Sprinting up the steps and dashing down the hall, Sam ran into the kitchen and snagged a chair. When he looked at the table and realized there weren't any plates of food waiting to be devoured, he looked around the kitchen. Leaning on the wall next to the sliding door, Aziza had her hands covering her mouth to keep him from seeing her grin.

 **"You called?"** Sam smiled and a giggle slipped out from the blonde.

 **"Dean thought it'd be fun to go camping. He's out fishing for dinner."**

 **"Sounds like a good idea."** He nodded in approval. Sam knew just about everything his brother's wanted to do all his life, but couldn't because of how they were raised or because Hunting got in the way. Dean had always wanted to go camping for fun and he must've realized he had a chance since they were someplace safe. **"Do you have any gear? I can't really imagine Gabriel going camping."**

 **"I tried to get him to do it, but we went _glamping_ instead." ** She rolled her eyes as she thought about the time she tried to get Gabriel to go camping with her. He lasted 3 hours before he started whining about needing the Internet and a proper toilet, knowing he's never used one in his life. **"There's some tents and sleeping bags in the closet, but I don't know how to pitch a tent. I know how to make a campfire though."**

Sam and Aziza gathered the camping supplies she had and they made their way outside. Sam noticed that Castiel had come back and he looked to be cleaning and gutting fish from a bucket with Dean. Once the fish was taken care of, Dean went inside to grab a pair of duffle bags filled with food and clothes.

Aziza was leading the men down a faint dirt path that followed the length of the lake as it formed into a creek and she was pointing in the directions of the ski slopes nearby. Since it wasn't winter, most of them were closed, but Aziza promised to take them skiing when it got colder, then she got excited about celebrating Christmas with the boys. She said that she would dress up an elf, Sam could be a reindeer, Dean had to be Santa and Castiel would be the Angel atop the tree. Cas commented that sitting on a tree didn't sound like a comfortable experience. Sam was all for supporting the thought and he even joked to Dean about making the eggnog. Dean laughed it off, but his heart was melting at Aziza's generosity.

He and Sam haven't had something close to a proper Christmas since they went hunting those pagan gods they thought were Krampus in Ypsilanti, Michigan. He knew Sam was more accepting to celebrating the holiday because Dean wasn't dying this year. He also knew that Sam was keeping his cool just like Dean was, but there had to be fireworks exploding in his chest. Aziza probably didn't know how special and rare it was for the brothers to enjoy a holiday like any other family. And with that incentive of spending Christmas together, she obviously wanted them to stay with her for a long time.

If Dean was being honest with himself, he wanted to stay in this cabin with Aziza, his brother and Castiel until he was old and saggy. He wanted to take her along for Demon hunts and go on their one-day vacations like they did in Miami. He wanted call her with help on researching lore when they were hunting some other kind of monster. He wanted to continue eating her home-cooked meals and he'd even pass on a cup of Whiskey for some of her freshly brewed teas. Hell, he even wanted to do yoga with her every day.

This cabin and the sweet blonde who basically adopted he, his brother and their broken Angel was starting to feel an awful lot like a home. Dean would do anything to keep it that way and he realized how silly this bet going on between he and Sam was. He tried to flirt with Aziza, but knew he didn't have any romantic feelings for her. Sure, she was a beautiful girl and she was silly and she had a huge heart, all admirable traits, but she seemed to be more interested with Sam, not that she deprived either brother of her attention. Dean knew when Sam liked a girl because he'd always try to make her smile and every time those two were together, Aziza always had a bright smile on her face.

In that moment, Dean decided that this bet was over and he was out. He wanted Sam to continue to be happy pursuing Aziza, so he was going to step away and let nature take its course, but he was going to give them a little nudge in the right direction like any good big brother would.

After a short hike and more plans about spending holidays together, they arrived at a clearing in the woods. From their spot, the cabin was a little over a 20-minute walk away and their position overlooked most of the woods surrounding them. They weren't very close to the mountains, but they could see them in the distance and Main Street was almost a blur of colored buildings, but within their view.

Sam and Dean got started on pitching the two tents while Castiel and Aziza were lighting lanterns to repel mosquitoes and any other bugs that wanted to feast on them, then they went searching for firewood. It took the brothers 15 minutes to get both tents up because they started playfully bickering about how to build their overnight shelters and they managed to construct one of the tents upside-down, so they had to start over again. By the time Aziza and Cas came back, both tents were properly pitched.

Like she told Sam she could, Aziza had easily started their campfire and since the sun was setting, she got started on cooking their freshly caught fish. She packed the fish, cauliflower, breadcrumbs, olives, garlic, lemons, onions and green peppers into wads of aluminum foil, cooked them over the campfire and after 25 minutes of drooling over the scrumptious aromas, she gave each man his steaming meal.

None of them seemed to care that the food was extremely hot because they didn't wait for it to cool off. Like with every meal Aziza made for them, the guys were trying to stuff each bit into their mouths and they didn't care of their tongues or cheeks were scolded in the process.

 **"Since I caught dinner and Zia cooked it, Sam's digging the poop chute."** Dean announced as he poked at their campfire.

They'd finished eating moments ago and started talking again. Aziza had brought up the _Supernatural_ books as something Gabriel told her on his last visit and the brothers had groaned, planning to strangle the Archangel for running his mouth about those godforsaken books. Thankfully, Aziza hasn't read any of the books and the brothers begged her not to, especially Sam. He was still trying to work up the courage to tell her that he was responsible for releasing Lucifer from the Cage and he didn't want her to find out from anyone else. He had to be the one to tell her, but he was stalling because he had to prepare himself for the hate she'd have towards him for starting the Apocalypse.

So, after telling some stories about their far-from-ordinary childhoods, the conversation shifted to her. Sam told her how he understood what he was like to grow up on the road with Gabriel and Dean watched with a heartwarming smile as his little brother had a heart-to-heart with the blonde. He had to butt-in, so he brought up their bathroom situation.

Sam pulled a face at the thought of digging their bathroom. After the amount of protein and vegetables they all just consumed, he did not want to be on poop duty. Thankfully, Aziza came to his rescue.

 **"There's an outhouse nearby, Dean. Nobody needs to dig a poop chute, which sounds really gross."** Her face was scrunched in disapproval at using a chute as a bathroom, which made Dean chuckle because Sam's was the same.

After Aziza pointed out the path leading to the outhouse, Dean looked to Castiel, but the Angel was looking off in the distance, seeming to be daydreaming. The Hunter noticed that Cas has been staring off since they built their camp, but he didn't know why. He guessed that there were woodland animals going about their days and caught Castiel's attention.

 **"Heya, Dean."** Aziza sat next to the eldest brother and wrapped her arms around his right one, smiling up at him. **"Have I told you how awesome you are? Seriously, you've gotta be the most kick-ass awesome guy I've ever met."**

 _'Oh, boy.'_ Sam shook his head, knowing that Aziza was trying to get something out of Dean, but his brother seemed oblivious.

 **"More awesome than Gabriel?"** Dean asked, smirking at her.

 **"A _billion_ times more awesome." ** She told him and Dean was smiling his ass off. Sam huffed at his brother's expression and glanced at Cas, but the Angel still wasn't paying them any mind. **"And you know what's even more awesome about you?"**

 **"I'm one handsome devil?"** He suggested, making Aziza giggle.

 **"Yes, that too, but the thing that makes you the most awesome guy I've ever known is that gorgeous, 327 four-barrel, 275 horses, 1967 Chevy Impala that you love so much."**

Dean didn't reply, he couldn't. Hell, Sam was even stunned into silence because he's never heard anyone except his brother talk about the Impala like Aziza just did.

Dean's hand went over his heart as if the organ was in danger of stopping. **"Okay, I don't know if I should be aroused or proud right now."**

 **"Gross."** Aziza wrinkled her nose with a smile. **"I've never driven a vintage car or stick-shift before, so I was thinking you could teach me how to Drive Baby 'cause you're such an awesome guy."**

Aziza was batting her lashes and the action just made those azure eyes of hers look more innocent than they usually were as she silently begged Dean to teach her how to drive his car. Sam was expecting Dean to let Aziza down as gently as he could because his brother had an unhealthy attachment to that Impala and it took half of Sam's life for Dean to finally start giving him lessons.

 **"Alright."** Dean easily agreed and Sam swore he just caught a bug because he felt like something just got stuck in his throat, making him choke. Aziza let out a squeal of happiness and threw her arms around Dean to hug him. **"Sam's probably gonna be looking for another case, so your first lesson's tomorrow."**

 **"Thank you, Dean! I'll make you pies whenever you want!"**

And with that promise, Dean had almost snapped Aziza's spine when he hugged her back. He wanted to head back to the cabin so Aziza could make him a pie right now, but he decided that he could hold off until tomorrow. None of the men have had a chance to taste her desserts, but Dean knew anything she made would be mouthwatering.

After a small, playful argument between the brothers about Baby, Sam noticed how dark it was getting and suggested, **"Maybe we should establish who's sleeping with who in which tent."**

 **"I don't sleep."** Castiel reminded his Human companions, seeming to have exited his daydreaming.

 **"Humor us, Cas."** Sam shook his head with a smile.

When all their eyes fell on Aziza, she just stared back at them for a moment, then a light bulb went off. She figured that since she was the only female, her decision would shape who was going to be sharing a tent with each other. She was used to Gabriel watching over her when she slept, so she knew she'd be comfortable with Castiel doing the same. She noticed how happy Dean and Sam were to have their own rooms, so she didn't want to stick them together.

 **"Sam, are those corn stalks you have for legs gonna kick me in the throat or should I just suffer through Dean snoring in my ear?"** She asked through a giggle, laughing when Dean looked a little embarrassed at the fact that he's been snoring because he was usually a silent sleeper. Then again, he was used to getting 3 or 4 hours of sleep within a week on a stiff mattress rather than 8 hours a night on the clouds they had for beds in the cabin.

Aziza decided that she'd be comfortable sharing a tent with Sam and Dean was secretly happy that he could be bunkmates with Castiel. That's how he hoped their sleeping arrangements would go because he wanted Sam and Aziza to get some alone time. He wasn't encouraging them to start knocking boots, he _really_ didn't want to hear that either, and he knew Sam was one of those romantic people who planned out things like that, Aziza didn't seem like the type to be an easy lay either, but he wanted them to have a moment alone without anyone disturbing them. Hopefully, Sam would realize that was his way of calling off their silly bet.

After everyone went to the bathroom and got cleaned up using the water from the creek, they all stayed up for a half-hour to stargaze. The stars seemed to twinkle brighter that night and Castiel had started telling the story of Kokabiel, the Angel of the Stars. That Angel was responsible for the creation of all the stars within the Milky Way galaxy, but Cas recalled his Father giving Kokabiel specific orders to create a batch of stars specifically for mankind to adore. Cas and a most of his siblings actually acted as an audience when Kokabiel created stars; it was like watching smaller versions of the Big Bang.

With a bedtime story and full bellies, everyone retreated to their tents with their bunkmate for bed. There were a pair of sleeping bags positioned side-by-side and Aziza's was obviously the pink one. She refused to sleep anywhere near Sam's feet for fear of his toes stabbing her in the eye while they slept, so both their heads were at the same end.

Neither Sam or Aziza immediately drifted off. She asked what Sam was researching in the library earlier and he told her that he was reading Gabriel's journal. He didn't know if he should ask her about the entry he read about the Qilin, if Gabriel had resurrected her, because it seemed like a tender subject and he didn't want to upset her. Instead, he asked her about the Cupids, remembering what Dean said happened before they arrived at the cabin. That successfully got Aziza to happily chatter on about how she absolutely adored Cupids and wished she could spend her life spreading love like they did.

Sam listened to Aziza's prattle for another few minutes and she somehow managed to get Sam to tell her about his magic phase when he was younger. After promising to show her a card trick tomorrow, they both dozed off.

 **SN*SN*SN*SN***

 **"Sam…"** Aziza whispered to the tall man sleeping next to her, but he didn't even stir. She heard a branch snap from somewhere outside of their tent and she started poking Sam in the cheek. **"Sam, wake up!"**

After another poke, Sam had finally opened his sleepy eyes, but they didn't focus yet. **"What's wrong?"**

 **"I think the Blair Witch is out there."** She told him with worry in her whisper.

Sam had to blink a few times, but he still couldn't see everything in the dark. He knew Aziza was close because he could feel her body heat and one of her hands was on his shoulder, so she must've still been lying down.

 **"You're joking."** He rubbed his eyes, so he couldn't see Aziza's very serious expression.

 **"I am far from joking, Samuel!"**

Sam was silent for a moment. That was the first time Aziza had ever called him by his full first name and opposed to being annoyed when hearing it from anyone else, he _really_ liked the sound of it coming from her. It made his flaccid cock twitch with arousal. It was like he had morning wood.

 **"I've been hearing sticks breaking and something moving around in the bushes."** Aziza told him, waiting to hear another eerie sound that woke her up. **"She's lurking around out there and plotting to eat us."**

Sam quietly cleared his throat and tried not to think about how close Aziza was to him now as opposed to when they went to sleep, how her back was pressed into his bare chest and her soft hair was right under his nose. He couldn't help himself, so he inhaled. She smelled like white lilies, a honeyed, floral aroma emanated from the blonde. It seemed so fitting for her too.

 **"It was probably just an animal passing."** Sam's voice was deeper than it usually was, a husky tone accompanied it that only came when a man was libidinous, as he tried to reassure her. Aziza turned her head enough for Sam to see her face and even in the darkness, her expression clearly said that she didn't believe a word that just came out of his mouth. **"If she was real, and she's not, you'd still have nothing to worry about. Her turf is Black Hills Forest, Maryland and we're in Colorado."**

 **"Bambi is not frolicking around with his woodland friends out there! It's the goddamn Blair Witch! She came over here just to eat _us_!" ** Aziza opposed, still whispering. She didn't seem to notice the new tone Sam's voice held or she brushed it off as his sleepy voice.

Aziza shifted and Sam had to sink his teeth into his lip to stop a groan as her leg skimmed against his growing erection when she moved towards the zipper of their tent. She pulled it down and a whoosh of the cool, nighttime air filled their portable shelter. Sam sat up and closed his eyes to let the crisper air hit his chest in an attempt to calm him down and he felt some of the heat leave his skin, but his hard-on remained.

When he looked at Aziza, her position did not help his growing problem. She was on her hands and knees with her head was poked out of the tent.

 _'Touch. Mine. Want. Feel. Take.'_

Sam could only understand those words as they seemed to be repeatedly chanted in his mind. And he'll be damned if he didn't want to. The urge to just grab Aziza and touch every inch of her skin, put his lips everywhere, feel her writhing beneath him in that subservient position, was an incredible temptation. He didn't have an ounce of regret towards her picking him to be her bunkmate, but he should've slept with his back to her or something.

Sam's eyes hungrily trailed from her slightly mussed hair and down. He just noticed the oversized shirt on her that he swore was covering his nude chest before he went to sleep, but he didn't mind that she was wearing it. She probably slipped it on because she got nervous when she heard the nocturnal sounds of the woods. She found comfort in it, he realized. Sam noticed that his shirt had slipped off her shoulder and he felt another jolt from under his sweatpants when he didn't spot a colored bra strap.

Sam slowly licked his lips as his eyes continued their journey of praising and craving Aziza's body until they fell upon her bum. Even covered by her plaid night pants, her botty looked deliciously bodacious and perky.

 **"Deeeean!"** Aziza called his brother, her voice sounding like a ghost's susurrant melody, and Sam focused. He was right behind her, his hands hovering just inches from her hips as was his crotch to her ass.

It took so much willpower for Sam to pull his hands away from her and curled them into fists to prevent temptation. He was silent as he moved to sit next to Aziza, but still concealed by the flap of the tent. What the hell was wrong with him? He briefly questioned why he couldn't seem to find an ounce of control, but he noticed that Dean didn't answer her.

Aziza must've grabbed a rock and pitched it at Dean and Castiel's tent because Sam heard a small thump followed by someone frantically moving around on their sleeping bag.

 **"I told you she was out there!"** He heard Dean say, most likely to Castiel, then he heard their tent unzipping.

Sam mimicked Aziza's position and stuck his head out of their tent. He watched as Dean emerged with bedhead. Sam could barely see Castiel's form sitting in their tent from the opened flap and he wondered if the Angel was simply watching over Dean as he slept. The older Winchester brother had a flashlight in his hand and was pointing it around their campsite, but mainly up in the trees.

 **"There is no such thing as the Blair Witch."** Sam told his brother and Aziza. He felt like he was the only one thinking realistically right now.

Dean purposely shone his flashlight in Sam's face, blinding him for a moment. **"Shut up, Sam! You're gonna piss her off!"** He scolded in a harsh whisper.

 **"You should know better than to believe in that."** He chided his brother back.

Dean looked like he was about to say something, but he caught some kind of grunt or yelp in his throat before he disappeared back into his shared tent. When the flap was lifted again, Castiel's head poked out first, then Dean. The Angel seemed preoccupied with scanning their surroundings and Sam hoped he wasn't gullible enough to believe in the Blair Witch.

Dean and Aziza's flashlights shone on the path leading to the outhouse when they heard the rustling leaves. They both were telling Sam that he was wrong and that the Blair Witch was in the woods to murder them while Sam was telling them they were scared over nothing.

 **"There's nothing evil out there and even if there was, I'm not gonna be afraid of some stupid witch."** Was Sam's final carp to Aziza and Dean, retreating into his tent.

He laid on one of the sleeping bags and folded the pillow for added support. Due to the feminine smell, he plopped down in Aziza's sleeping bag and he hoped she wouldn't care that he stole her bedroll. Aziza moving made him sit up and he watched her dart out of their tent. Sitting up again, Sam lifted the flap and watched Aziza settle inside of Dean and Castiel's tent. His brother was still inspecting their surroundings, but Aziza was using Cas as a shield and Sam could see how close she was sitting behind the Angel, how she grabbed his arm. He frowned at that, scowled was more like it. Why did she have to _touch_ Castiel? And didn't she feel safe with him?

 **"She's gonna eat _you_ first, Sam. Not me. I believe!"** Aziza whisper-yelled to Sam when she saw him looking out of their tent. She was too far away to notice the malicious look he was giving Cas. **"And if it's not her, then it's a Bigfoot!"**

Sam didn't respond to what she said, still feeling little buzzes of heated envy at the sight of Aziza _touching_ Castiel. When she shone her flashlight on his chest, he relaxed his features as best he could.

 **"Those aren't real either."** He told her.

 **"Bitch, please."** She scoffed and he smirked at the sass she had to have inherited from Gabriel. **"It won't hurt you 'cause it'll think you're family, but I am not gonna become a swamp bride tonight, Samuel."**

There it was again, his name falling from her lips like an aphrodisiacal hosanna and the effect it had on him was out of this world. His eager cock had twitched again, but this one made Sam lowly groan. He was fully erect now and every pulse or twitch made him feel like he was about to explode. He shivered when he felt a drop of precum dribble from the head of his cock down the length of his shaft. It took every ounce of restraint Sam had for him not to shove his hand into his pants and start jerking off right then and there, not caring if Castiel or even his brother saw him.

 **"There is something out there…"** Castiel spoke as if he were in a trance, his blue eyes shifting around the night-drenched woods. **"I'm not sure what it is, but…it's coming towards us."**

Aziza yelped when it sounded like a goddamn tree had fallen, but the sound was too close for comfort, maybe 10 to 15 feet away. Dean and Sam retrieved their guns and Cas crawled out of the tent to stare into the aphotic woodlands as if he were waiting to greet whatever was prowling out there.

The noises only continued to grow after that, rustling of bushes, the panicked shrieks of sleeping animals being rudely awakened by some disturbance, more branches snapping, but it was near impossible to pinpoint the source of the sounds because the woods made everything echo.

Suddenly, the forest was silent again and everyone, save for Castiel, seemed to be holding their breaths in anticipation for the Blair Witch to reveal herself. After another moment of silence, something Yellow partially revealed itself and Dean and Aziza had matching screams while Sam had fired a shot at the Yellow.

Flashlights shone on the colored thing and everyone let out a sigh of relief upon discovering one of the Rock Guardians was hidden in the darkness, not the Blair Witch. They didn't know which one it was until it got closer and the symbol on its torso could be read.

 **"Zur, you giant pile of Talc! You had us scared half to death!"** Aziza scolded, still inside Castiel and Dean's tent.

The Rock Guardian's cautious Yellow dimmed and it emitted a Cornflower-Blue color, the change similar to watching a lava lamp shift shades. Zur was the cold-hearted one of his siblings and he was the most aggressive, always prepared to attack. Aziza couldn't remember a time when Zur portrayed any shade Blue, so seeing the being do it now was surprising. He mentally spoke to her and told her that he did not mean to scare her, which explained why he was Blue.

 **"That's what I was feeling."** The Angel murmured, realizing why he was preoccupied with scanning the forest earlier. Castiel couldn't figure out exactly what the Rock Guardians were. He knew they were made of boulders, but that didn't explain what their life force was and that was how he identified most beings. Humans had Souls, Angels had Grace and so on. Cas sensed Zur traveling through the forest earlier, but he couldn't identify the being. Zur turned to Castiel and telepathically talked to the Angel in Enochian. After he finished, Cas smiled and looked to Aziza. **"You weren't in the cabin, so he and his brothers were searching for you."**

 **"That was very sweet of you, Zur."** Aziza smiled at Zur. She hated when he got so aggressive, but she still loved him and his brothers for being so protective. **"You can call off the search, we're just camping. We'll be back tomorrow morning."**

Aziza knew Zur had sent a mental message to his other brothers on her whereabouts, their thoughts were connected like stations on a radio, and she expected him to go to go back to his post, but he didn't. In front of everyone, he shook his head once and sat down with a hard _thump_ , like an overgrown child, making everyone bounce a bit. Obviously, Zur had declared that he wasn't going anywhere and Aziza knew he could shrink down to a smaller size, similar to how Panos did when the Winchesters first arrived at the cabin, but Zur didn't make any motions to do so.

He did, however, emit a maroon color and Aziza furrowed her brows at why he would be angry right now.

 **"He said if you ever shoot him again, he will crush every bone in your body starting from your toes and ending with your skull."** Cas relayed Zur's threat to Sam and the Rock Guardian was probably glaring at the younger brother, but due to the lack of being able to make facial expressions, it just looked like he was staring.

Aziza finally crawled out of Dean and Castiel's tent to reprimand Zur and she told him that if he couldn't be nice, he was going back to his post. With everyone reassured that the Blair Witch wasn't in the woods to kill them, Aziza came back to her shared tent with Sam. When they got settled again, she started tugging Sam's shirt off and apologized for being a clothes thief, but Sam told her that she could wear it if she wanted.

And to his luck, she did. When he got his shirt back, he hoped her scent would still be clinging to the material.

They both laid on their backs and Aziza wasn't as close as she was before, but Sam's knuckles could easily brush against her hand and he did so every now and then. Only when he was sure she was asleep did he gently intertwine his fingers with hers and shut his eyes to rest.

* * *

I thought this was a cute chapter and it got some bonding time in with Aziza and the boys. I didn't want to rush things between Sam and Aziza, but after this, things should start steaming up. I predict another few chapters, maybe 3, before Lucifer pops in. I've got his appearance written out, so it's just a process getting from point A to B.

So much love and thanks to everyone sticking with this story :3


	11. Teenage Love Affair

Before anyone bites my head off, let it be known that I don't even have my Learner's Permit, so I have basic and limited knowledge on driving. What Dean talks about is what I learned from 'How to Drive Stick/Manual' guides that popped up on Google. My Internet keeps going out, so I'm posting this at 4am just in case I'm WiFi-less.

* * *

Dean and Sam were still adjusting to their own rooms and those memory-foam beds, but they were getting up earlier by the day. Today, however, Dean was awakened by a mouth-watering smell. He thought he was sleepwalking, but he knew pie when he smelled it and the aroma led him into the kitchen to find a pie cooling in the window, then Aziza told him it was a Bourbon Pecan pie that Castiel helped her make.

Dean tried to get a slice of pie, but Aziza kept him away from it because it was too hot to eat. When Sam came into the kitchen minutes later, everyone had breakfast and took a shower. Aziza managed to convince Cas to claim a bedroom and she's caught him reading in there a few times, but he didn't have any clothes or personal belongings or keepsakes. She promised she'd take him on a shopping trip soon.

Aziza was already strapped in the passenger's seat of the Impala as she waited for Sam and Dean to come out of the cabin, humming along to the song playing from her iPod. Cas was waiting with her, but had disappeared just a moment ago, saying Gabriel was calling him. Aziza knew that her Archangel was making up for lost time with Castiel and she smiled at the thought of them spending time together.

When she felt one of the doors opening, she beamed as Dean slid behind the wheel and Sam was getting comfortable in the backseat. As Dean started driving, Sam was preoccupied with reading Gabriel's journal, searching for a new case on his laptop or the notepad he brought to brainstorm scenarios on how he was going to confess to Aziza. He hasn't come up with anything yet, but he hoped something would come to him while he was looking for another case or reading.

 **"** **Hey, Zia."** Other than Sam's fingers quietly tapping on the keyboard of his laptop, Dean's voice broke the peaceful silence of the car. He was driving to another town so Aziza could get some practice without too many obstacles. **"Wanna hear a road song me and Sammy used to sing when we were traveling with our Dad?"**

Sam's head snapped up from his screen to look at his brother. From the rear-view mirror, he could see Aziza's smile. **"Sure."**

 ** _"_** ** _This is the song that doesn't end  
Yes, it goes on and on, my friends_**

 _ **Some people started singing it**_  
 _ **Not knowing what it was**_

 _ **And they'll continue singing it**_  
 _ **Forever just because**_

 _ **This is the song that doesn't end**_  
 _ **Yes, it goes on and on, my friends"**_

Sam groaned as Dean continued the never-ending song and Aziza's mouth was slowly starting to dangle open after each repeated verse. Dean was 13 when he heard that godforsaken song on some PBS program, but Sam knew the only reason he remembered it was because Shari Lewis was on the show. Dean was right in saying that he and Sam used to sing the song when they were driving to a new motel with John, but Sam knew their Dad got sick of hearing it as soon as they started singing.

Thankfully, Dean arrived at their destination, the Statutory Town of Alma with its 289 population, and traded seats with Aziza. Sam slid his still empty notepad into his laptop, closed it and slid it off his lap to buckle his seatbelt.

 **"** **Dean, where's the PRNDL?"** Aziza asked, looking down at the manual transmission with a perplexed expression. Dean looked like he was trying not to laugh. **"I know that's the stick-shift, but there's lines on it instead of letters. I'm pretty sure R stands for reverse and N is neutral, but how am I supposed to know which is drive and park?"**

 **"** **I asked him the same thing when he started teaching me."** Sam told her, slightly shaking his head as he remembered when Dean began teaching him how to drive. **"There's no park gear, gotta use the emergency break."**

Sam pointed to the brake on the side of her seat and Aziza grabbed it to familiarize herself with the lever.

 **"** **Like you said, R is reverse and N is neutral. The lines stand for gears."** Dean spoke and recaptured Aziza's attention. He pointed to the striae marking the gearshift. **"First gear is used for the slowest speed. Second gear is the workhorse. You shift into second gear when you're going up or downhill. Third shift is more so for authority and to lessen excessive shifting. You get more control and power."**

Aziza said nothing when Dean finished. She was just intently staring at the gearshift as if waiting for something to happen and Dean was choking back his laughter because he thought she was confused.

 **"** **Got it or should I do another rundown?"** He asked with a smirk. It took Sam more than a handful of tries to remember which gears did what, so he wouldn't be surprised if Aziza needed a refresher.

 **"** **One line: Slow. Two lines: hills. Three lines: Christian Grey."** Aziza said, having formed her own version of what Dean just said. She'd remember it better that way.

 **"** **Christian Grey?"** Dean questioned.

 **"** **Yeah. You said third shift is for authority. Authority is dominance. The first person I think of that represents dominance is Christian Grey."** Dean couldn't contain his laughter after that and when Aziza looked to Sam, she saw how high his brows were raised in surprise. She rolled her eyes. **"Oh, come on. Everyone's read or watched** ** _50 Shades_** **by now."**

 **"W** **e're so gonna talk about your fetishes later."** Dean chuckled and Aziza cocked an eyebrow.

 **"** **Says the guy who wants to get slapped in the face by a girl wearing a Zorro mask during sex."** She countered, rendering Dean silent. If possible, Sam's brows were touching the roof of the Impala now. **"You have very kinky dreams, Dean. And you talk in your sleep. Totally adorable."**

 **"** **Next up is the pedals."** Dean cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject, making Aziza smile in triumph. He pointed to the trio of treadles at her feet. **"Gas is on the right, brake's in the middle and the clutch is on the left. Every time you shift gears, you gotta use the clutch. You're probably gonna have the most trouble with that, but you'll get it."**

Like she did the first time, Aziza went quiet as she memorized everything Dean said and he was watching her tap each pedal with her foot, so she must've been thinking of something to help her remember which pedal did what. When she nodded to herself, Dean handed her the keys and she stuck them into the ignition, but she didn't move yet. Her hands were at 10 and 2 on the wheel and she moved her right one to grip the gearshift, but she didn't move it yet.

 **"** **Just go slow and trust what you feel."** Sam leaned forward to offer words of encouragement to the blonde. **"You can feel when the clutch engages and disengages under your feet. Listen to Baby and you'll learn how she works."**

Aziza still seemed frozen in place, but she nodded and Sam gave her a squeeze on the shoulder as extra reassurance. She looked to Dean and he nodded.

 **"** **I'm listening to you Baby. Be my guide."** She whispered to the car. **"Be gentle, this is my first time."**

Aziza was carefully edging the gearshift into first gear, but Dean turned around to look at his brother. He suggestively wigged his brows at Sam, obviously due to Aziza's last comment. Sam huffed at his brother, but Dean turned around when he heard a terrible grinding sound. It sounded like someone stuffed metal into a paper shredder.

Aziza snatched the keys out and pulled her feet up on her seat, her head in her hands. **"Oh, God. I broke the car."**

 **"** **That sound means you didn't fully shift."** Dean told her. Aziza's hands dropped from her face and he saw how terrified she looked.

 **"** **Is Baby gonna explode? Is the engine gonna catch fire?"** Dean chuckled as Aziza panicked over a common first mistake and put her head back in her hands. **"Oh, God. I broke the car."**

 **"** **Zia, it's okay. Baby's not gonna explode."** Dean tried to reassure her, but all he got in response was a worried whining sound from the blonde. He smiled and put his hand on her shoulder to get her to look at him. **"Just try again, nice and easy. Make sure to shift until the stick won't move anymore, but don't force it into place."**

Aziza slowly unraveled from the bunched position she put herself in and she positioned her hands and feet where they needed to be. After a moment of mentally preparing herself, she started the Impala again and shifted into first gear, simultaneously stepping on the clutch until she felt like something clicked under her foot. Then, she timidly pressed on the gas and Baby started to slowly ride down the barren street.

A round of congratulation and praise from the brothers filled the car as Aziza successfully began driving Baby and the blonde couldn't stop smiling. Within the half-hour she was driving, the only mistake she made was not shifting into gear again, but she was driving the Impala like she had years of experience under her belt.

 **"** **Sam, you're the genius. Explain something for me."** Dean prompted as Aziza continued driving. He challenged her to find a hill so she could have experience using the second gear and she's been searching for one the past 15 minutes. Dean turned to look over his seat at Sam. His brother was timidly writing something on a notepad, but Sam let out a little frustrated sigh before he dropped his pen to look at Dean. **"How the hell did a girl learn to drive my sweet Baby in a couple hours when it took you** ** _years?_** **And you still ride the brakes like a goddamn bull."**

Sam huffed. **"I know how to drive."**

 **"** **Yeah, a bitch-mobile maybe. But my Baby? Oh, no. You drive her just…disgustingly**. **"** Dean pulled a face that made him look like he was about to vomit. **"Zia and I treat Baby like she's a beautiful, beautiful woman. You treat her like a beaten mule."**

 **"** **We need driving music to celebrate my awesomeness."** Aziza announced before Sam could carp at his brother.

Before Dean was sent to Hell, he relinquished ownership of his Baby to Sam with thoughts that he wasn't going to come back. He remembered telling his brother that if he made any modern modifications to his car, Sam was going to be dealing with a pissed off Ghost haunting him for the rest of his life. And of course, the first thing Sam did was install an iPod mount in the Impala. Sam had done that on purpose too, wanting his big brother to come back in any shape or form.

They argued about it for a few days and Dean ripped the mount out a few times, only to replace it when he knew Sam was going to be driving. He didn't have time to uninstall the mount, so Aziza easily connected her iPod and was scrolling through her library of songs until she found what she was looking for. Dean was expecting her to play _Hey Jude_ , but he didn't recognize the beginning of this song.

 _Live fast, die young  
Bad girls do it well_

 _Live fast, die young_  
 _Bad girls do it well_

 _My chain hits my chest  
When I'm bangin' on the dashboard_

 _My chain hits my chest_  
 _When I'm bangin' on the radio_

 _Get back, get down  
Pull me closer if you think you can hang_

 _Hands up, hands tied_  
 _Don't go screaming if I blow you with a bang_

 **"** **I don't approve of this."** Dean carped, but Aziza was grooving in her seat to the dancehall tune. With how old he guessed she was, he should've expected her to pick some new-age music.

 **"** **Driver picks the music,"** She pointed to herself, then tapped Dean on the nose. **"Shotgun shuts his cakehole."**

Sam laughed at the same rule Dean had enforced and earned a glare from his brother. Dean knew jack squat about how to operate an iPod because that was one of the neoteric gadgets Sam hasn't taught him how to use yet, but it couldn't be that hard to figure out. Just like he did to Sam when _Night Moves_ came on as they were driving to the cabin, Aziza was singing as she easily deflected Dean's attempts to change the song or yank her iPod off the mount.

 _Suki Zuki  
I'm coming in the Cherokee_

 _Gasoline_  
 _There's steam on the window screen_

 _Take it, take it  
World's bouncing like a trampoline_

 _When I get to where I'm going,_  
 _gonna have you trembling_

Neither brother was expecting Aziza to suddenly, and perfectly, accelerate like she did, so they had no time to brace themselves when they were jerked forward. And Aziza didn't stop there. It was as if she threw her responsible driving skills out the window because with her accelerated speed, she was maneuvering around the few cars on the road until she was in front of them all. Then, she revved the engine and zipped down the road, leaving the other cars as fading bodies of color in the rear-view mirror.

 **SN*SN*SN*SN***

Castel went to retrieve Aziza like Dean asked him to. The blonde had a certain energy that was unlike any other he's ever felt, so he let that be his guide and was lured to the backyard.

Bordering the house were beds, bushes and pots of blooming flowers and there was a floppy, straw sunhat was moving down the line as she tended to them. Cas noticed Aziza's garden when he was talking to Eben and the diverse flowers within it. The blooming florae made him think of his time as a bumblebee on the planet of flowers.

 **"** **Aziza."** A hummingbird dashed away before she looked up from the plot of tangerine-orange Oriental Poppies she was tending to and smiled at the Angel. Cas' head slightly tilted to the side in half curiosity and half confusion. **"You weren't startled."**

 **"** **I'm used to handsome Angels randomly popping in on me."** She told him with a smile as she stood and dusted off her vanilla, floral-printed sweetheart dress. There was a fallow-brown sash tied around her midriff to match her cowgirl boots.

Castiel couldn't recall a time he heard someone call him handsome, but hearing it from the blonde made his heart flutter with bashfulness. He's learned that Aziza was a very sweet person, but he was still getting used to her being so kind towards him. He was an Angel of the Lord, most of his existence was spent training for and participating in wars. Kindness wasn't something taught in Heaven…nor was the existence of the Soulmate.

Cas wouldn't alter any of the decisions he's made since he retrieved Dean's Soul from Hell, but he wished he was still welcomed in Heaven. He wanted to return home solely so he could research Heaven's extensive archives and find something on Aziza. He was certain that another Angel has never even muttered a passing comment about the Soulmate, but she was something divine and there had to be something in Heaven, perhaps a Tablet, about her. Gabriel even felt the same. The Archangel believed that Aziza was a 'top secret project' and the only Angel who'd know about her would probably be Metatron since he was God's scribe.

 **"** **Oh, no."** Aziza pouted as she kneeled in the dirt again. Her fingers lifted a dried out petal belonging to a clay pot of formerly rose-pink Begonias. Gently, she pinched the dried petal between her fingers and smiled as the flowers were revived, blooming with color and pride. **"There. All better."**

 **"** **Why do you heal things?"** Castiel asked her, honestly wanting to know. She healed the apricot tree and even before then, she told him of how she healed elderly people daily when she was living in Arizona. He was curious as to what her motives were.

 **"I do what I do 'cause I loves what I does."** Aziza giggled as they walked into the house. She took off her sunhat and hung it on a nail in the cupboard where her gardening supplies were. **"I have the ability to help people, to heal them and give them more time with their families. At the end of the day, family is all anyone has and it's all that really matters."**

 **"** **You have a very big heart, Aziza."** Cas sincerely complimented and a subtle blush coated her cheeks. **"I didn't mean that literally. I'm sure your heart is normally-sized, but-"**

She cut off the Angel's innocently adorable rambling by hugging him, smiling. **"I get it, Cas."**

 **"** **Dean and Sam have returned from their witch-hunt."** Cas informed her as she detached from him. **"I'll be in the library if you need me."**

The pair parted ways as Aziza went to greet the brothers. It's been 3 days since she learned how to drive Baby and Sam had caught a Witch case just a few hours after they came home. The Winchesters asked her to sit this hunt out and she didn't argue because Witches were fickle things. While they were away, Gabriel had come to visit again. He updated her on his Cupid interrogations and how he was currently questioning one named Nayeli. He hasn't 'solved her Rubik's Cube' yet, which means the Cupid hasn't remembered anything about the Soulmate, but Gabriel was always determined when it came to getting answers and Aziza was waiting for an update.

 **"Heya, Dean."** She greeted with a smile. The older brother was setting his duffle bag down and he smiled in return. Aziza didn't see any bruises that needed tending to and that a good sign. **"Did you drop a house on your wicked witch?"**

 **"** **Yep, ganked her ass good."** Dean tossed a bullet and Aziza caught it. The brothers had given her a rundown of all the weapons in the Impala's trunk and Aziza was currently holding a shell belonging to a Witch-killing bullet.

 **"** **Where's Sam?"** She asked as she twirled the bullet around. She was thinking of making a bracelet or necklace out of it for Dean.

 **"** **Don't kill me, okay?"** Aziza looked up at Dean with oceans of concern filling her eyes, wondering if Sam had gotten hurt. **"Sam's okay. He's still in one piece, Soul's still intact, bitchface resting and all that good jazz. There's just one** ** _tiny_** **alteration. You'll barely notice."**

Aziza cocked an eyebrow at that. The boys had just gone on a Witch hunt and if Sam had 'one, _tiny_ altercation', it couldn't be anything good.

 _"_ _That Witch probably turned him into a toad or gave him 3 heads_. _"_ Aziza morbidly thought.

Dean left the cabin and when he came back, he had somebody trapped in a bear hug. When he set the person down, Aziza realized it was a teenage boy who looked to be the same age as she did. Her first thought was that the guy was in Sam and Dean's Supernatural Witness Protection and he was going to be staying with them while they got him settled someplace safe, just like Dean told her after Jude turned out to be a Werewolf.

 **"** **Zia, meet Sam Winchester. Age...teenager."** Dean announced and Aziza's jaw detached from her skull to clatter on the hardwood floor.

It still took her a minute to recognize Sam, but she started to see the younger brother in the teenager. His head was down as if he didn't want her to see him, but Aziza spotted those dewy, hazel-green eyes and knew they could only belong to Sam. His hair was a few shades lighter and much shorter than when he was an adult. He still had his athletic build and was tall, but he only came to Dean's shoulders now and his stubble was missing. One thing was for certain, Sam was still just as handsome as a teenager as he was as an adult.

 **"** **...I'm gonna...uh..."** Sam muttered, unable to form a complete sentence. He didn't know if he was nervous because Aziza was staring at him with starry eyes or because he was a teenager again and he barely had a grip on his emotions, but he could feel his face igniting with embarrassment. His voice wasn't even as deep as it used to be and he felt like he was talking like a Kidz Bop singer. **"I-I should...gonna go look for a spell…to change me back...downstairs...in the library...where the books are."**

Sam tried to zip off to escape to the basement with every intention of not coming out until he was back to his appropriate age, but Dean caught him by the collar before he could get far.

 **"** **Cas and I are gonna look for a spell to change you back 'cause that's what responsible adults do and we are those."** Dean told his brother. He smiled as he _looked down_ at Sam for a change. **"He's already getting a head start and we'll probably find a spell in the next couple days."**

 **"** **Dean, it's fine. I can help research."** Sam persisted.

Dean wagged his finger at Sam. **"Responsible** ** _adults_** **, Sammy. You're a minor."**

 **"** **But, Dean-"**

 **"** **And since I'm officially the man of the house, I hereby forbid you to go anywhere near the library."** Dean prohibited and Sam looked at him as if he couldn't believe the words that just came out of his brother's mouth.

 **"** **What am I supposed to do then?"** Sam questioned and Dean smiled because his little brother actually looked like a disgruntled teen trying to get his way.

 **"** **Sam, I'd like you to meet another teenager. Her name's Aziza and she's awesome."** With his hands on Sam's shoulders, Dean turned him around and walked his little brother to stand in front of Aziza. She still looked like she was trying to accept the fact that Sam was a teenager. **"Go do…whatever teenagers do."**

Dean grabbed the keys to Baby from the bowl on the coffee table and held one up to Sam's throat, silently threatening to kill him if he damaged his car. Sam knew the drill and nodded. Dean dropped the keys into Sam's hand, then dug in his pocket for some cash to give his brother.

 **"** **You know where the rubber stash is. Work on those** ** _Night Moves_** **, Sammy."** He whispered with a wink as Sam took the cash, chuckling when he received a glare and reddening cheeks from his brother.

Dean shooed the pair out of the house and watched as Sam held the door open for Aziza before he got in. He couldn't hear them, but judging by Sam's expression, he just agreed to let Aziza drive them somewhere. Once they were out of sight, Dean went down into the maze of the basement in search of Castiel. Thankfully, he found the Angel sitting at the desk with a few piles of books stacked next to him.

 **"** **This sorceress was very skilled in witchcraft. I doubt we'll be able to find a counter-spell."** Cas informed Dean, being able to feel the Hunter's presence. **"She seems to have frozen Sam's growth process and he'll be stuck as an adolescent for the rest of his life. There are quite a few aging spells, though most of them are to make someone** ** _younger_** **, vanity and all. If we want to Sam get back to his age or close to it, we have our work cut out for us. I'll probably need to gather some exotic ingredients for the spell."**

Cas flipped to the next page of the spell book he was reading. Most of the writings were in Enochian and he took the time to make an Enochian-to-English translation guide for the brothers, knowing they spend quite a bit of time reading through the lore.

Dean didn't say anything as he put his hand on the book and lowered it to the table, making Castiel focus on him.

 **"** **Is something wrong?"**

 **"** **Everything's perfect. We've got the house all to ourselves."** Dean smiled.

 **"** **What about Sam?"**

 **"** **Sam's gonna enjoy being a normal kid who doesn't have to go hunting. He wasn't gonna show it, but I know he's enjoying being a teenager. This is giving him a second chance to have some normality. He deserves that."**

Dean could honestly say that whatever curse the witch put on Sam was one of the best things that a supernatural being could've done. His little brother was going to experience what it was like to be a normal, carefree teen doing whatever he wanted _and_ spending time with a girl he liked.

 **"** **That's very thoughtful of you, Dean."** Cas praised, his blue eyes twinkling as he softly smiled at the Hunter. **"What should we do until they get back?"**

Dean shrugged in response. He certainly didn't plan for Sam to be turned into a teen, but it's not like he had any plans for when they came home. **"What do** ** _you_** **wanna do?"**

 **"** **I've been curious about Human hygiene for some time now."** Cas told him and Dean raised an eyebrow in surprise. He shouldn't have been shocked though. He highly doubted that Heaven was equipped with bathrooms and Angels seemed to be interested in most things Humans considered normal. **"Since Aziza's given me the ability to taste food, I've noticed little particles sticking between my teeth. I think toothpaste would help with that. While we have some free time, could you teach me how to use it?"**

 **"** **Why don't I give you a whole lesson in Human hygiene?"** Dean offered. **"I'll teach you how to brush your teeth and wash your face, maybe shave."**

 **"** **What about showering?"** Castiel suggested and Dean's eyes went a bit wide, pupils threatening to expand to marble-size. _"Jesus, Joseph and Mary, that_ is not _gonna end well."_ He knew that there was going to be a lot of water for him to clean up afterwards and Cas would probably be slipping and sliding all over the bathroom, but there was still the main obstacle of the Angel being naked. **"From what I've gathered from watching you and Sam, showering seems to be almost as important as eating. I know it involves water and being in the bathroom and it's a bit time-consuming, but I'd like to learn."**

Dean knew Castiel was a visual learner, so he'd probably want Dean to just hop in the shower and watch him bathe. That _really_ wasn't going to work because Dean's mind was already filling with kinky thoughts, wondering if Cas could be into voyeurism due to how much he liked watching things.

 **"** **Okay, Cas."** The Hunter gave in and Castiel smiled like a little kid about to get an ice-cream on a summer day. **"Let's save showering for the end though. We'll start with brushing your teeth and go from there."**

Cas nodded and obediently followed Dean upstairs to the bathroom, his smile never fading. Dean was stalling for time to prevent having to teach Castiel how to bathe because he knew he couldn't just sit there watching his naked Angel covered in suds without something erotic happening.

If and when Castiel asked for a lesson in intimacy, Dean would gladly be he teacher. Until then, he was going to teach an Angel how to brush his teeth.

 **SN*SN*SN*SN***

Sam and Aziza had mindlessly driven around for a few minutes, neither of them saying a word. Sam was too embarrassed about his current state to say anything to her, but Aziza had suggested they go have some fun. She managed to convince Sam to let her drive and within a half-hour, they arrived in Keystone, Colorado. She covered Sam's eyes and led him inside a building. When he could see again, Sam smiled at the gigantic skating rink, the warm string lights illuminating it and people skating on the ice.

They rented a pair of skates and Aziza was eager to get on the ice. She told Sam of the times she and Gabriel had gone ice skating and how much fun it was. Sam, on the other hand, has never gone ice skating. He remembered a few winters where Dean would find a frozen lake for them to slide around on, but that was all the experience he had.

Aziza managed to coax Sam onto the ice and she laughed as he wobbly tried to find his balance, clutching her hand for dear life. She taught Sam how to find his balance and how to maneuver on the skates, but he still fell a few times and he even accidentally brought her down with him once. Aziza had simply laughed it off, but helped Sam up, brushed him off and urged him to try again.

After another 20 minutes of Sam tottering around the rink like a baby giraffe learning to walk, he got the hang of things. He was nowhere as good as Aziza as she easily glided on the ice like some sort of winter pixie, but he could keep up with her and he didn't fall again.

When they were leaving the ice rink, Sam had his arms around Aziza in attempts to warm her up because she was shivering a little and she had her hands under his jacket, rubbing them against his back to warm her hands. They took a second to warm up in Baby before Sam had started driving around in search of somewhere for them to eat. They both spotted a place called Tom's Diner and simultaneously started singing the 1987 song by Suzanne Vega.

They went inside and snagged a booth in the corner. The diner wasn't packed, but there were a few tables with people eating at them. Their waitress had brown-auburn hair and her name was Annabel. She reminded Sam of Suzie from Rummy's because the woman was easily in her late 30's, but she still had some zest to her.

Aziza and Sam placed their orders and while they were waiting for their food, she asked if Sam would show her another card trick. He kept his promise of showing her one the day after their camping trip and he's kept a deck of cars in his pocket just in case she wanted to see another one.

Since he already showed her the common 'Is This Your Card?' trick, Sam decided to move onto a different one. Like he remembered, Sam buttered Aziza up by telling her he had the ability to make a card levitate. He couldn't help but smile at how engrossed she was, how she was intently watching the cards as if she'd figure out how the trick behind it, and her jaw dropped to the floor when the 6 of Hearts began floating between Sam's hands.

When their food arrived, Aziza was still trying to figure out the working behind Sam's card trick, but she said she had some magic up her sleeve too. She looked around the diner and pointed to a couple. The man looked 20 years older than Dean was and the woman was college-aged. She was talking his ear off as she texted on her phone, but the man looked like he wanted to stab himself in the eye with his fork.

Their waiter came to the table and Aziza overheard what the couple ordered. She muttered something, then told Sam to watch. The waiter set a few plates down on the table, then left. Before either could take a bite of their food, the woman screamed and Sam saw a foursome of pig's feet tap-dancing on the plate. The woman jumped out of her seat and her phone landed in her glass of red wine, making it spill on her dress, while the man was laughing.

Sam and Aziza were laughing at her antics and Sam was reminded that she had a bit of Trickster in her due to Gabriel's upbringing. Before they left the diner, Sam asked Annabel for a slice of Pumpkin pie to go.

Getting back in Baby, it was Sam's turn to take Aziza somewhere. He and Dean didn't come to Colorado frequently, but on from the times they did, Sam remembered a spot that was a perfect place to end this night.

With one hand over Aziza's eyes, Sam pulled into the grassy clearing near the mountains and led Aziza out of the car. He went to the trunk to get the blanket she used on their road trip to Colorado and spread it out on the grass, coaxing her to sit down. When he lifted his hands, the first thing Aziza did was look up at the starry sky and she let out a little gasp of awe at how close the stars seemed.

 **"** **I've always loved staring at the stars."** Aziza dreamily told Sam. They were laying side by side and holding hands as they stargazed in peaceful silence. **"Gabe's a city guy and you can barely see the sky with all the lights, but if I'd bug him enough, he'd zap us to this little island somewhere in the Caribbean and we'd stargaze for hours. It was so peaceful. The sound of the waves, the warm sand…"**

Aziza trailed off, but lovingly sighed at the memory and Sam couldn't help but smile at how tranquil she sounded. Sam and Dean have never left the States, but he thought about all the times between cases when he and Dean would buy a six-pack of beer and find an open field to stargaze. Sam had even learned the Aquarius constellation just so he could point it out for Dean every time they watched the stars. It was something they made into a tradition because even though Sam couldn't remember much of his childhood like Dean did, he was certain that John never sat outside and stargazed with them. He wondered if Mary had stargazed with Dean.

 **"** **I remember when we were younger and our Dad was away on a Hunt. I can't remember what he was hunting, but he told Dean to stay home for once."** Sam recalled a memory that he thought of due to Aziza's little tale and he felt her move a little closer to him. It was almost unnoticeable, but with Sam's focus locked on the blonde, he knew whenever she moved the slightest inch. He mustered up the courage and untangled his hand from hers to put his arm around her shoulders. Aziza wasted no time in putting her head on his shoulder and one hand settled on his chest. All Sam could do was smile for a moment as warmth flooded his heart, then he continued his story. **"We were in Wisconsin and Dean drove us to the Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay. It wasn't as modernized as other observatories, but it had the largest refracting telescope in the world. I don't know how long we spent looking at stars and the planets. We even got to see the Orion nebula. That was one of the best days of my childhood."**

Sam was smiling again, remembering how excited he was to visit the observatory and how Dean had seemed to know everything about it because he was acting as a tour guide.

 **"** **Dean deserves an award for being the best big brother ever."** Aziza remarked with a warm smile.

 **"…** **he really does."** Sam slightly mumbled.

Some days, Sam was bluntly reminded of how Dean had to be a big brother, Father _and_ Mother to him and when Dean was just a kid himself. Sam sometimes felt like a burden for robbing Dean of what little childhood experiences he could've had because he had to care for his little brother. He sometimes thought that if he hadn't been born, Dean would've had a normal childhood with John and Mary and he wouldn't have had to be a Hunter. He'd be happy.

Sam tried to make up for it now by going on Hunts in places he knew his brother's always wanted to visit or encouraging Dean to go out and have a night of fun while Sam looked for a case and getting Dean something nice for his birthday. Now that they were with Aziza, it was clear to Sam how happy his brother was and he noticed how much Dean's cut back on drinking. Sam would catch his brother splashing some Whiskey or Bourbon into his teacup every now and then, but Dean was sipping herbal tea more often and thanks to the memory-foam beds they had, he was getting a peaceful night's rest.

Sam was grateful they were lured to Arizona by Kira's pack because if they didn't go investigate, they never would've met Aziza. She was a huge contribution to their newfound happiness and she was taking care of them like they were family.

With her in mind, Sam looked down to the blonde and thought she drifted off, but he didn't. She was staring at Sam as if he were one of the sparkling stars above them.

He was seeing Aziza differently now, no doubt due to him being a teenager at the moment. Through these stripling eyes of his, Sam really noticed just how beautiful the blonde was. He remembered Gabriel's words about her being of Heaven's creation and right now, he fully believed that Aziza was the most divine being he's ever had the prerogative of laying his eyes on.

Her innocent azure eyes were nothing less than purified oceans of tranquility and benevolence. Her soft skin would make a marble statute turn green with envy because hers was flawless and invariably lustrous. Her flowery touch could easily domesticate even the most ferine of beasts. Her voice was a Siren's enthralling song that no man could resist and Sam was being pulled in with every word that had the honor of falling from her delicate lips.

Sam glanced at her coral-pink lips and was reminded of how long he's wanted to kiss her. From the first day he saw her at Rummy's, he's wanted to wrap her in his arms and kiss her until he stole her breath away. He suddenly remembered that he had yet to tell her about his part in Lucifer's release and he vowed to himself that he would confess soon, but before then, before she hated him, he wanted to let her know that he had feelings for her.

Sam slowly leaned closer to Aziza and he watched the blush creep up on her cheeks, but she met him halfway and their lips connected in a gentle kiss. Sam was the first to detach, but Aziza chased after him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Sam wanted to give her whatever she wanted from him, so he followed her lead and decided to take her plump bottom lip between his, gently nibbling. Her little gasp sent a shock through him and it urged him to continue.

Sam slipped his tongue into Aziza's mouth, faintly tasting the red velvet cake they shared for dessert, and was rewarded with an amorous whimper from the blonde. He went to coax her onto her back and she did so, pulling him on top of her to reconnect their lips once again.

Sam didn't know how long he and Aziza were making out in that clearing like a pair of hormonal teenagers, which they both were at the time. It felt like they were drifting through the stars in a cosmic dance that he never wanted to end. It felt like there was no evil in the world, nothing for him to worry about, all because he was with her.

As much as he was enjoying the experience, Sam knew he had to stop them before things got out of hand. From the way Aziza was tugging at his shirt and running her hands up and down his abs, and from his own easily sprung erection, he knew what she wanted, but Sam didn't want their first time to be out in the open on a blanket. He wanted to plan something romantic for her and the mood was set with the dazzling stars and the milky moon, but it still didn't feel right.

Even though he didn't want to stop, Sam put an end to their steamy session and told Aziza it was getting late, that they should head home. He didn't miss the slight disappointment in her eyes, but he kissed her again and promised that tonight wouldn't be the end of their romantic endeavors.

Sam drove them home and he was holding Aziza's hand for the length of the ride. It was close to midnight and they wanted to be as quiet as possible, so they crept to the backyard and entered the cabin through the sliding door. As soon as Sam shut the door, the kitchen lights flicked on.

 **"** **Do you two have any idea what time it is?"** Dean questioned as if he were Sam and Aziza's overprotective father.

Sam presented the Styrofoam container housing a slice of Pumpkin pie from the diner to Dean. He knew Dean had devoured the Bourbon-Pecan pie Aziza made the day she learned how to drive Baby and he knew they'd be getting in late, so he came prepared with a bribe for his brother.

 **"** **I didn't forget your pie."** He told Dean.

The eldest brother hungrily eyed the container. He could smell the pie in there, but he was having a hard time pinpointing what flavor it was, not that it mattered to him.

 **"** **We'll discuss this in the morning."** Dean's voice was still stern, but he took the container and opened the top. He let out a low hum of approval at the slice of Pumpkin pie with a dollop of whipped cream. Sam and Aziza started to leave the kitchen, but Dean flicked Sam's ear, making his brother hiss and drop Aziza's hand. **"You stay out of her room. You've had more than enough fun for one night."**

Dean didn't know what his little brother and Aziza did on their little date night, but from the way Aziza was blushing and Sam turned his head away from his brother, Dean had a feeling things got bumped up from PG-13 to rated R. Since they obviously wanted to act like frisky teenagers, he was going to have to keep his ear to his door to make sure Sam didn't sneak out of his room to pay Aziza a late-night visit.

 **SN*SN*SN*SN**

Sam stayed a teenager for the rest of the week. He spent most of his time with Aziza and they usually ran off to do some spur-of-the-moment thing that popped into their heads. Dean hasn't gotten a call from Breckenridge PD about two little delinquents and Baby hasn't come home with a scratch on her, so they weren't getting into too much trouble out there. When they decided to stay home, Aziza would teach Sam about gardening in the mornings and they were almost always locked in Sam's room for the nights. Most of the time, they shared a bowl of Pizza Rolls while watching a movie or they listened to each other's favorite music. Aziza was a sucker for love songs, instrumental music she could do yoga to and a handful of Alternative songs while Sam had inherited some of Dean's beloved Rock music and Indie tunes. Afterwards, the steamy kissing would start and they'd explore each other's bodies before Sam escorted Aziza to her room with a goodnight kiss.

Every night of that week, Sam had casually asked his brother if he'd found a spell to turn him back into an adult. Dean caught on to the hesitancy in his little brother's voice and was happy to realize that Sam didn't want to grow up again.

And that's why, for those seven days, Dean kept telling Sam that they hadn't found a spell to age him properly or that they found one, but an ingredient for it was extinct.

Truth was, Castiel had found a proper aging spell just two days after Sam had been turned into a teenager and they had all the components to perform the incantation. Dean had preoccupied Cas with his teachings in how to be Human. He asked the Angel about all the Human things he wanted to learn and taught him what he could.

But on that seventh day, Sam had asked Castiel instead of Dean on a progress report on finding a spell. When confronted about it, Dean had told Sam that he could remain a teenager for a little longer if he wanted to, but Sam and his sense of responsibility wouldn't let him drag out this wonderful curse anymore.

Sam did want to remain a teenager for a little longer, but he knew that the more time he spent as an adolescent, the harder it would be to want to be an adult again. The same rules applied to him stalling with confessing to Aziza how the world could end because of him. As much as he loved spending time with Aziza and seeing her through new eyes, there were somethings about adulthood that he missed too, like going to bars to have a drink and not having a State-issued curfew and having control over when he got aroused because that had to be the biggest pain in the ass of his life.

So, Sam denied himself any further happiness as a teenager. He had his fun and he enjoyed it, even got to experience things he didn't his first time as a teen, but it was time for him to grow up. When he was an adult again, he'd act his age and try to come clean.


	12. Time Has Brought Your Heart To Me

S:5 EP:13 - Hammer of the Gods

* * *

 _Can't tell you all the nights I've prayed for this day  
Curious about the way you'd feel_

 _Now that you're here, I'm asking myself,  
'How could you be real?'_

- _Soulmate_ by Dre

* * *

 **"Dean's been teaching me about Human hygiene, but this is new."** Castiel was holding a hand mirror to watch Aziza smear something on his face with a Popsicle stick. It was much thinner than the goop that gave him the ability to taste and it smelled wonderful. **"This facial paste, what will it be doing to our skin?"**

 **"It's a Lavender and Oats mask to cleanse our faces and make the skin soft and smooth without chemicals."** Aziza told him, her own face being coated in an oatmeal layer and her hair pulled up into a ponytail.

Aziza always liked making homemade things using natural ingredients, it reminded her of cooking and spellcasting. When she discovered that she was out of lavender, she asked Castiel if he knew of any places where they could get some or just the flower's petals because she didn't grow any in her garden and there wasn't a flower shop on Main Street. She was expecting him to take her to a store in another State, but Cas zapped them all the way to the serene countryside of Provence, France where there were fields of lavender growing for _miles_.

Dean and Sam were currently out on yet another Hunter mission and they asked Castiel to watch over Aziza while they were away. This time, they didn't give her any details about their trip and she prodded as best she could, but Sam and Dean wouldn't utter a word. She requested that they check-in when they could and they both pinky-promised they would. She even got a hug from Sam before he left. Since he was turned back into an adult, she's noticed that Sam was a little distant as opposed to when they spent so much time together as teenagers. She missed his kisses and being wrapped in his arms more than anything, but she figured that he was readjusting to being an adult again. She could only hope that he'd start showing her affection when he was settled.

Without having pockets at the moment, Aziza's phone was tucked into her sock as she waited for the Winchester brothers or Gabriel to call. Since he told her about Nayeli, her Archangel hasn't dropped in for a visit and his frequent calls have drastically lessened. Even though Gabriel was one of Heaven's most terrifying weapons and he was keeping a low-profile on Earth, Aziza couldn't help but worry about him.

 **SN*SN*SN*SN***

Gabriel stood in the empty banquet hall of the Elysian Fields Hotel in Muncie, Indiana with his Angel Blade in one hand while the other was protectively wrapped around Kali's waist.

Just like he knew he would, Lucifer had easily turned the pagan gods into finger paint and he was sure Ganesh was splattered on the wall behind his brother. As soon as Lucifer punched Kali, Gabriel abandoned his reluctance to help the pagan gods. Kali was the one to stab him in the heart, but Dean was right in saying that Gabriel still cared about the gods. These were the supernatural beings he made a family with when he left Heaven and Kali had been the first to welcome him. He owed it to her to protect her from his brother.

Lucifer was suddenly forced backwards through the banquet hall's doors and through a few walls. Gabriel told Sam and Dean, who were hiding behind an overturned table, to get Kali somewhere safe and they quickly ran out of the hotel with her.

Lucifer climbed through the wall and Gabriel spotted his searing red eyes for a moment before they dimmed to the blues of his current Vessel.

 **"Lucy, I'm home."** Gabriel sardonically greeted his big brother.

Lucifer didn't immediately respond. He was trying to accept the fact that his little brother was standing just a few feet away from him and he wondered if those filthy pagan gods were playing tricks on him, but he could see Gabriel's Grace being held within his Vessel along with his golden wings. He also just realized that Gabriel had protected one of them by forcing him through the walls like he did.

 **"Where is she?"** Lucifer questioned. He was summoned here by Mercury and his claims of having the Winchester brothers trapped in the hotel. His Demons proved to be useless because they haven't spotted Sam anywhere and it was as if he simply vanished into thin air, but something obviously made him come out of hiding.

Gabriel pulled a very convincing perplexed face. **"Where is who?"**

 **"Don't play dumb with me. I know your protection spells and warding when I see them."** Lucifer dispelled his little brother's attempt to give him the run around. He knew that if he found Gabriel, he would find his Soulmate. When he was released from the Cage, before he even found Nick, he spoke to her for an hour because he was worried sick thinking that she was hurt or being mistreated without his protection. She didn't tell him that Gabriel had adopted her, but Lucifer sensed some kind of tracking tag on her that had sigils Gabriel favored. After he gained Nick's consent, she was hidden from him, but he's been bouncing around the States to whenever miracles were performed in hopes that he'd find her. **"I have to thank you, Gabriel. I thought that Michael would've already turned her against me, but you've been taking care of her all this time, keeping her safe."**

 **"She doesn't want to be part of this and neither do I."** Gabriel was suddenly drop dead serious. It was clear to him that Lucifer wasn't here to play any games and he seemed to want Aziza more than Sam, but Gabriel was not going to let that happen. **"You and Michael are just gonna have to duke it out without the extra gear 'cause she's not participating in this shit-fest you're brewing."**

 **"Watch your mouth."** The Fallen Archangel warned.

 **"Bite me, Lucifer."** Gabriel hissed, making his brother narrow his eyes. **"Play the victim all you want, but you and me? We know the truth. Dad loved you best. More than Michael, more than me. Then, He brought the new baby home and you couldn't handle it. This is all just one big temper tantrum. 'Boo-hoo, Daddy was mean to me, so I'm gonna smash up all his toys.' Grow up."**

 **"Gabriel, if you're keeping her away from me for Michael, letting him get close to her just so they can bond…"** Lucifer couldn't even finish his sentence and it trailed off in a predatory growl.

The mere thought of Michael bonding with _his mate again_ made Lucifer furious. He didn't know how the unification process went for Michael and Aziza and he didn't want to find out, but he knew it had to be on an intimate level. It couldn't be the same closeness he hoped to share with his mate one day, but it was still too close for comfort.

 **"Screw Michael. If he were standing here, I'd shiv his ass too!"** Gabriel barked and Lucifer could see his gilded wings flaring and twitching with annoyed over-protectiveness; his whiskey eyes had hardened to something stronger than steel. **"And I haven't been letting Michael do anything. He's too busy being the top banana in Heaven to give a damn about her. But if tried to come _anywhere_ near Aziza, I'd make him drink Holy Oil and throw him into the goddamn Sun, just like I'd do to you if you tried anything."**

Lucifer almost hissed as he stalked into the room, his vehement glare locked on Gabriel. **"You disloyal little traitor."**

 **"I know where my loyalty lies. It's with Aziza and with the Humans we were made to protect."** Gabe declared. It took him a while to figure out which team he was playing for, but he realized where he was needed. Nobody seemed to care about Earth or the Humans on it, but Gabriel did and he wanted to protect them both.

 **"They're cockroaches."** Lucifer spat, clearly disgusted.

 **"They're better than us."**

 **"They are broken, flawed, abortions!"** The Morning Start objected, throwing his hands in the air and making the hotel tremble with his growing vexation. **"They're a disgrace! They're easily broken, corrupt insects wallowing around in their own filth! We're better than them, we _'_ re superior! We are _divine_ _beings_ , Gabriel!"**

Lucifer still couldn't understand how an Angel or something as superior as another Archangel could _possibly_ believe that a Human was better than themselves. These hairless apes his Father created were deformed science projects and more trouble than they were worth. They sold their Souls for materialistic things and constantly lied to one another. How could anyone think those bugs were better than the very dirt they walked on?

 **"You're damn right they're flawed and they know they've got problems. But a lot of them try to do better, to _forgive_." ** Gabriel tried to get his brother to understand. He wanted Lucifer to look past his hatred for just a second to see the wonders of Humanity, how their Father's creations had created so many marvelous things for themselves and their planet. **"They weren't meant to be flawless, Dad didn't design them to be perfect. And _that's_ what makes them better than us, their humility."**

 **"How could you turn your back on your family for _them_?" ** Lucifer sneered and Gabriel's eyes almost rolled out of his head.

 **"Don't try to make us out as some Brady Bunch. "** The younger brother snarked. **"Have you _seen_ the family since you've been topside? Here's a recap: Dad's still nowhere to be found and He's not coming back. The Angels are killing each other _in your name_ or because you're topside and nobody knows what's right or wrong anymore! With Michael in charge, I don't even wanna _think_ about what Heaven looks like now!"**

As out of character as it was, it was Gabriel's turn to raise his voice and the hotel suffered another round of tremors at the portrayal of an Archangel's growing aggravation.

It broke Gabriel's heart to hear that his brothers and sisters were slaughtering each other to prove their worth to Lucifer because they feared him, just like Castiel had said about Uriel recruiting Angels, or for the simple face that he was out of the Cage. Some Angels thought it was fine to start killing anyone who wasn't siding with Michael and the first Archangel obviously wasn't doing anything to stop them.

Heaven was a complete, anarchic disaster and Gabriel bet his wings that Hell was in better condition. He almost wanted to march up there and rip Michael a new one, then shove him off his throne to show him how to properly manage their home without Angels killing Angels or any wars or hatred. It seemed like someone who had a heart needed to run Heaven and Gabriel was never one to accept such heavy responsibilities, but he would gladly take charge just to show his brothers how things were done.

 **"I've lived amongst the Humans for decades, Lucifer. I understand them, I feel like they do. And in this war, I'm not on your side or Michael's or even Heaven's."** Gabriel had simmered down and was talking honestly to his big brother, his tone gentle and calm with a stern undertone. **"I'm playing the field for the Humans because that's what Dad wanted us to do, protect His greatest creation."**

Lucifer knew how this encounter was going to end, but that didn't mean he liked or wanted it to be that way. He had an entirely different scenario planned for how he'd meet Gabriel, but nothing was going as he intended and he was forced to improvise.

He briefly shut his eyes, feeling a ball of ruefulness already clogging his throat. **"Little brother…don't make me do this."**

 **"No one makes us do anything. You have a choice. Not just with me, but with this fight. There's good in you, Lucifer. I know there is. You can still make the right choice."** Gabriel was pleading with his brother, on the verge of dropping to his knees and begging.

Gabriel knew what made Lucifer the way he was now, what got him cast out of Heaven, and while there was nothing anyone could do to change what happened in the past, they could still have better a future. Maybe it was a good thing that their Father had left because now, Lucifer could focus on the family that still loved him. Gabriel wanted nothing more than to show Lucifer that he still loved him and give his brother a chance to prove that he changed.

And Lucifer seemed to be considering Gabriel's words. He looked like he was thinking of the choices he had, the things he could do to prevent the Apocalypse from happening.

But then, Lucifer shook his head and his hard blue eyes locked on Gabriel while the third Archangel's heart shattered into pieces.

 **"I've seen the futures, Gabriel. Time after time, I've watched _you_ corrupt my mate's mind and make her think that I'm the enemy, watched _you_ fill her head with lies. _You_ are the main obstacle standing in the way of us reuniting." ** Lucifer began prowling towards his younger brother with deadly intentions, but Gabriel didn't back away or take a defensive stance. **"Try to understand, Gabriel. I have to do this. Not for me, but for my mate. You're a threat to her."**

 **"You're my big brother, Lucifer."** Gabe looked down at his hand as he released his grip until his Angel Blade clattered to the ground, then he picked his head up to reveal his tear-filled eyes. **"I don't want to fight you. I don't want to fight anyone…I just want it to stop."**

The last thing Gabriel wanted was for bad blood to boil between himself and one of his brothers. He just wanted everyone to calm the fuck down and hug things out like civilized beings would, like any other family would. He didn't care about destinies, he didn't want the world to end or for the Humans to be wiped out and he didn't want Michael or Lucifer to die. He just wanted it all to end, so he could have his family back.

Lucifer sighed at the piteous look on Gabriel's face, but he shoved his sympathetic feelings aside and balled his hands into tight fists. This had to happen. Nothing was going to keep him from his mate or from his battle with Michael. He had no other choice.

 **SN*SN*SN*SN***

Castiel was rubbing and petting his face, mesmerized by how silken his flesh felt. The facial mask Aziza had applied was responsible for this and Cas wanted to get a facial every day if it meant his skin could always be this pleasant to the touch. He pondered if Dean would enjoy feeling his downy flesh.

 **"I never knew skin could feel this soft."** The Angel admired as Aziza came out of the kitchen, smiling as she watched Cas lovingly caress his face. **"Though, I question if it's customary for males to have such silky skin."**

 **"It's normal, Cas."** She giggled. She pulled her phone from her sock and checked the time. She knew Sam and Dean always wanted her to stay in the cabin while they were on a Hunt, but if their rule didn't stop Cas from zapping them to France, it wouldn't stop them from taking a shopping trip. **"I think we should get you acquainted with some new clothes now."**

Cas stopped petting his face and looked down at his trench coat. Aziza's washed his clothes for him a few times and was beginning to teach him how to operate a washing machine, but the outer garment was probably the only thing that he had sentimental value towards. It felt like memories from the day he met Dean and Sam Winchester and everything they've been through since were being held within every thread that made the fabric. Castiel felt like the coat was part of who he was, as strange as that sounded.

Aziza watched as Castiel grabbed the belt of the raincoat and rubbed it between his fingers. Other than when she washed it, she's never seen Castiel without his trench coat and she smiled as she realized the Angel was attached to it.

 **"We won't get rid of your trench coat, just try on new clothes."** She assured the Angel and she saw the relief in his blue eyes when he looked at her. She smiled at him. She went to go look for a hoodie she had stashed somewhere in the living room. **"There's this great clothing store on Main Street. Maybe you could try jeans and t-shirts. Or of you wanna keep…this…"**

Aziza slowed her walk until she was standing motionless in the middle of the room. Her head slowly began to tilt upwards as she heard a sound flooding her ears. It sounded like a horn. Not a trumpet, but one of those blowing horns that a Viking would blow when it was time to conquer a new place or even a Shofar. The sound wasn't deafening, but it effectively captured her full attention. She swore she's felt something of the same sensation before, but she couldn't remember.

 _"Hey, cutie pie."_ Gabriel's warm voice filled Aziza's ears, silencing the bellowing horn. **_"_** _If you're hearing this…it means I'm catching a one-way flight to the great beyond. I probably pissed someone off and got what was coming to me. I'm sorry I can't be there for you anymore, but you've got Dean, Sam and Castiel to protect you now. Don't forget about ol' Gabe, okay? Promise to name one of your kids after me. Just keep following your heart, it's the guide to your true destiny. And never lose your love. It makes you special. I love you, Aziza. So long and goodnight."_

Castiel was waiting at the front door, expecting Aziza to take him to this clothing store so he could find new garments to wear. He's never had a reason to bother with clothes before, but with Dean teaching him about Human hygiene, he felt like he needed to have numerous outfits to wear.

When the blonde didn't meet him, Castiel went searching for her and found her standing stock-still in the middle of the living room.

 **"Aziza?"** He called as he came to her front, but she didn't answer him. She looked like she was staring into nothing, but he noticed a single tear slide down her cheek.

Castiel's worry was spiking through the roof because he knew Humans didn't just go into trances such as the one Aziza was currently in. He wondered if she needed some kind of medical attention, but his worry only increased when he felt the rumbling stomps from outside.

Looking out the nearest window, Cas saw Eben, Zur and Panos were converging around a window to peer inside. They were constantly switching between portraying Yellow and Red, but streaks of Blue were evident in either color. Cas figured that they must be confused by whatever was happening to Aziza. He also noticed how angrily gloomy the sky looked, how a nasty storm was brewing above. Cas watched the Weather Channel on TV every day to look for demonic presences and the meteorologist predicted that there would be clear skies with a breeze tonight, no signs of a storm.

Turning back to Aziza, Cas put his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to bring her back to reality. He watched, mesmerized, as her eyes began to glow a lavender shade until the purple hue dominated her blue eyes. Suddenly, the Angel was forced away from her as if he'd been shocked by electric. He was thrown into the breakfast bar, almost destroying it, but he heard a booming crash of thunder.

When Cas got to his feet, the first thing he noticed was that Aziza was missing and the Rock Guardians were literally running away from the cabin to frantically search the surrounding woodlands. That couldn't be good.

 **SN*SN*SN*SN***

Lucifer pushed Gabriel's golden wing away and revealed the bruised, bloody Archangel on the floor. Like he said, Gabriel didn't lay a finger on his older brother. Not once did he try to fight back when Lucifer was practically beating him to death. He was trying to show his brother that he didn't have to follow the destiny planned for him. Gabriel knew there had to be some good in his big brother and wanted to prove it. If he had to die for Lucifer to understand, for him to make a mistake before learning, then so be it.

Lucifer noticed Gabriel's non-aggressiveness, how he remained passive and nonviolent. He gave Gabriel countless opportunities to be hostile, to strike him. In the Vessel he was using, Gabriel had the advantage of being stronger, yet he refrained from attacking.

Lucifer had always admired Gabriel's irenic nature. He could make his brothers want to murder him with his foolish pranks, but he was always the one to mediate when there was a wedge between any of his siblings. He was the one telling them to kiss and make up instead of brewing in anger.

But those days were long gone. He and his brothers weren't the same as they were then and nothing could change that.

 **"Goodbye, Gabriel."** Lucifer softly, almost unwillingly, told his little brother.

He didn't know if Gabriel detected the sorrow in his voice, but from the tears that slid down the brunet's cheeks, he did. There was so much heartache and disappointment in his little brother's eyes, but Lucifer also saw the acceptance in them. He got the message that Gabriel was sending, that if this is what he needed to do, then Gabriel accepted it.

Lucifer let out a sigh through his nose as he held his hand out to the side and the discarded Angel Blade flew into his grasp. He didn't look at Gabriel's eyes again, he couldn't. He raised the Blade above his head and choked back the regret already bubbling within him…but he didn't impale Gabriel. Something stopped him.

There was something in the air, a growing electric magnetism that caught every ounce of Lucifer's attention. He knew what that feeling was, he remembered it, and he knew what it was leading to.

She was coming.

Sam and Dean had just reentered the hotel after getting Kali somewhere safe. They went looking for Gabriel and crept into the banquet hall where the third Archangel was last seen. They took cover on either side of the opened doors and Dean peered inside. He saw Gabriel on the floor and the banged up state he was in, but Lucifer was standing in the center of the room with his head tilted back to stare at the ceiling.

Before Dean could wonder what the hell was happening, the ceiling began to crack and crumble, some of its foundation breaking apart to fall to the floor, until it was torn off by an unknown force. The roof was pulled into the swirling gloominess that dominated the once star-speckled sky. It looked like a growing super-twister of depressed clouds and furious lighting flashes were consuming the once clear, nighttime sky.

A strike of purplish lightning touched down to the hardwood floor and suddenly, there Aziza stood. Her eyes were glowing a lavender luminescence that conquered both sockets and left no room for her beautiful azure eyes.

Gabriel could feel the omnipotence radiating from Aziza and if he didn't know any better, he'd have mistaken her for his Father in disguise because in this moment, she felt more powerful than himself and Lucifer _combined_. Against those herculean vibes coming from her, Gabriel was _beyond_ panicking. He never prepared himself for the possibility of Lucifer or Michael meeting her and he didn't like how Lucifer was staring at her now.

The Morning Star had abandoned any thoughts of smiting Gabriel. He didn't care that he could feel his true Vessel's presence and it seemed like his plans to start the Apocalypse, strategies he's been perfecting within the decades of his imprisonment, simply vanished into the air like smoke.

All Lucifer could focus on was his Soulmate in all her beauty. She looked exactly the same as she did those long years ago, not a single feature altered, but it felt like he was meeting her for the first time all over again. Despite how leveled he looked, he was a nervous wreck on the inside. A burst of insecurity erupted in his chest due to the scarred appearance of his Vessel. He didn't want to meet his mate until he had Sam's consent, but there was no changing it now. He only hoped that she found Nick's skin to be attractive in some way, regardless of the prominent burns.

 **"You're more beautiful than I remember."** Lucifer cooed, his voice so gentle that a feather couldn't match its softness. He stepped closer to his mate, her lavender eyes alluring. He thought they were the most stunning feature about her because they gave him a glimpse into her unique spirit. **"It's been so long…too long. I've missed you, valentine."**

Lucifer sagaciously thought about his next move for a moment, then decided he had the courage to go through with it. His hand came up and his fingertips almost brushed against her cheek, but he noticed her expression change. Even with them glowing, his mate's eyes narrowed in a scolding manner and the ground began to violently shake as if a volcano was seconds away from erupting. Lucifer quickly dropped his hand because the very last thing he wanted to do was upset her, but the mighty quakes didn't stop.

He wondered what he did to make her react that way, but a particularly clamorous crash of thunder boomed from above. Lucifer had momentarily forgotten about the disaster brewing in the sky, but glancing up, he saw that the storm just as violent and tenebrific as it was when she arrived. He remembered that her emotions could drastically effect the weather, but was she so angry?

From the corner of his eye, Lucifer noticed Gabriel struggling to get on his feet and he was probably trying to heal himself too. Lucifer's jaw twitched in irritation as he remembered that his disloyal little brother was the reason why his mate didn't even want him to touch her, why she didn't remember his love. She was upset with him because of the lies _Gabriel_ filled her head with.

When another tempestuous bolt of lightning crashed from above, Lucifer understood what had to be done. He took a few steps backwards, keeping his eyes on Aziza the entire time, until he was a safe distance from her. He watched her hand slowly ball into a fist at her side and the depressingly dark clouds from the raging storm above began to spiral downwards. They trapped Lucifer in their darkness and he didn't fight their pull. He was lifted up into the night sky and into the eye of the tornado with the bursts of lightning.

Once the second Archangel was consumed within the grim super-twister, the dark clouds began to thin into nothing. The twister began to calm until the nighttime sky, decorated with stars and the pale moon, could be seen again. The earthquake-like seisms stilled and just like that, everything was back to normal.

Aziza's eyes were still glowing, but she began walking towards Gabriel. She looked like a Goddess gracing Earth with her ethereal presence when she moved, her blonde hair flowing behind her shoulders and a glow to her skin that was nothing less than heavenly. When she reached him, she bent down to caress his cheek and Gabriel closed his eyes. He could feel her healing him, but it was in such a soothing way. It felt like he was drifting in an endless sea of tranquility with rays of sunlight adding delicate warmth to the experience.

When her hand disconnected from his skin, Gabriel opened his eyes. He felt reborn, like his Vessel had been given a tune-up after being in poor condition for so long. He wanted to enjoy the feeling, but he couldn't. He knew the consequence of Aziza using so much of her unstable power and she did too, yet she still took the risk.

The bright glowing in Aziza's eyes began to dim down and she swayed before collapsing on one of Gabriel's wings splayed out on the floor. In an act of fruitless protection, his golden wing curled around her motionless body.

 **"Get her."** Dean told his brother as they entered the destroyed room. Sam used all the gentleness he had to cradle Aziza in his arms while Dean pulled Gabriel up on his feet. **"You okay?"**

The Archangel shrugged off Dean's hand and turned his back on the Hunter, mumbling, **"I'm fine."**

 **"Is she gonna be alright? Her eyes were…glowing. That's new."** It was so easy to forget, but Dean was reminded that Aziza was a divine being, the only Soulmate in existence. He's never seen her eyes glow like they did tonight, nor has he ever witnessed her conjure such a violent storm like she did and he wondered what other ambrosial power could be bottled up inside one sweet girl. Gabriel didn't answer Dean, he was still silent and his head was down. **"Gabriel?"**

 **"…I really wished she wouldn't have come."** Gabe sadly muttered.

Aziza was the only person Gabriel's ever said goodbye to, but he was ready to die tonight because he knew there would eventually come a day where Lucifer would find him and want to know where his Soulmate was. Gabriel would've died before he told Lucifer where she was and he knew his brother would never find her, so his existence would've ended with a somewhat clear mind. He would've wanted to say goodbye to Castiel and Balthazar too, maybe get a parting kiss from Kali.

 **"She saved your bacon, man. You'd be an Angel-kebab if it weren't for her."** Dean reminded.

 **"And now, I have to watch her die!"** Gabriel snapped, whipping around to reveal the tears staining his cheeks. **"So, yeah, whoop-de-fucking-do! Break out the champagne and put on your party hats!"**

Dean had taken a step back, surprised at the Archangel's sudden outburst. His hands were raised to show Gabriel that he wasn't the enemy, but Gabe didn't lose the ferocity in his eyes.

 **"Zia's just drained. She conjured a freaking tornado to eat Lucifer. She'll sleep it off and be fine in a few hours. She's not gonna die."** Dean tried, oblivious to the truth.

Gabriel knew that the Hunters, even with Sam reading his journal, didn't know half as much as he knew about Aziza. They didn't know that what she did tonight had a melancholic penalty that she decided to pay all because she chose to save Gabriel when she should've stayed put.

 **"Whoa, hey. Something's wrong."** Sam alerted the other men. Aziza's body had started to uncontrollably jerk like she was having a seizure. Sam could only see the whites of her eyes and he tried to still her by clutching her shoulders, but it was in vain. She was convulsing too hard, nothing could stop it. She coughed and blood began to relentlessly spill out of her mouth. Sam was thrown into a frightening panic. He didn't know what was making her do this and that meant he couldn't help her, which horrified him. **"She's- what's happening?!"**

 **"Gabriel, help her!"** Dean demanded, but Gabriel had already turned his back on the scene. He couldn't watch it, not again after so long.

 **"I can't."** Were his only words to the fuming Winchester brother.

 **"You're a goddamn Archangel! The hell do you mean you can't?!"** Dean was an octave away from screaming himself hoarse. He didn't understand why Gabriel wouldn't help Aziza if he knew so much about her, after she just saved him. From Dean's perspective, the Archangel was just fine with watching her die, but he was not. He couldn't let that girl die tonight, not in his baby brother's arms like that. Sam didn't need to go through that kind of agony again, seeing another girlfriend die and being unable to save her. If Gabriel wasn't going to help, Dean knew someone who would. **"Cas!"**

It seemed as though Castiel was waiting for the very moment Dean _thought_ to call him and he appeared at his side in an instant. Quickly evaluating the scene, he dropped to a knee next to Sam to place two fingers on Aziza's head. He used more of his Grace than he normally would have if he were healing Sam or Dean, but he didn't care if he was drained. Dean had entrusted him with watching her while they were away and Cas couldn't fail either of them.

Aziza's jactitating body did not stop juddering and the blood spilling from the corners of her lip did not cease. With a pained and shocked expression on his face, Castiel slowly withdrew his fingers from her head, standing.

 **"I…I don't…"** The Angel stuttered as he began slowly backing away from the pair, shock apparent on his face.

 **"She's _dying_ , Castiel! Do your healing thing!" **Sam beseeched, on the verge of tears.

 **"…I can't."** Castiel tried to explain his dilemma to Sam, but this was the first time he's ever experienced something like this. It was a new, overwhelming and frightening discovery. **"I don't know what's wrong with her. It's impossible for me to understand what her injury is. I can't…there's nothing I can do to help her."**

 **"Hey, Zia. Stay with me, okay? Just hold on."** Sam was begging her to hold out for just a little longer. There had to be a spell or something they could do to help her, _anything_.

 **"Gabriel, you fix her right fucking now or so help me God, I'll drown you in Holy Oil!"** If anyone else had heard that toxic threat from Dean Winchester, they would've bartered their Soul to the nearest Crossroads Demon in exchange for protection against his wrath.

Gabriel, however, was unaffected. In that moment, it felt like no other emotion could surpass the brokenheartedness he was drowning in.

Sam gripped Aziza tighter and he was beginning to cry when he noticed that her body was starting to settle down. He started yelling protests to whatever force was taking her away from him as if his words would keep her here, but they didn't.

Her violent paroxysms died down to sporadic twitches, then she stilled.

The sound that came from Sam was what made Dean fall apart. That broken, miserable little grunt of pain as if something had just ripped his heart straight out of his chest. Dean's legs gave out and Castiel sunk to the floor with him as he silently cried. Sam's head was pressed into the crook of Aziza's neck and he didn't care if he'd get blood in his hair or on his clothes. He couldn't let her go. He pulled her arm around his neck and rocked her inanimate body with him as he bawled.

Gabriel had sensed the second Aziza's life force had left this world, but he refused to look at her corpse. He couldn't look at Sam or Dean because he knew he'd see how crushed they were and he wouldn't be able to handle seeing the anguish their eyes held.

It didn't happen often, but every time Aziza died, a piece of Gabriel did too. He felt like a failure for not being able to prevent her death. This time around, he could mark it down as suicide because Aziza knew that she couldn't use so much of her power without being bonded to one of her Soulmates, but she did it anyway. That big heart of hers made her sacrifice herself to protect him.

Another tear slid down Gabriel's cheek at Aziza's selfless feat, but he wiped it away.

 **"C'mon, we've got somewhere to be."** He announced to the men in the room, knowing none of them would answer.

He knew that trying to detach Sam from Aziza's cadaver was going to be harder than taming a Hellhound and getting Dean to budge from his spot was going to be twice as difficult, so he wouldn't touch the either brother at all.

With a snap of his fingers, Gabriel transported the Winchesters, Castiel and himself to the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park in Tulare County, California. They were all standing before General Sherman and just like the very first time Gabriel visited the National Park, he saluted the tree.

 **"What the hell are we doing here when Aziza just died?"** Sam hissed at the Archangel.

Sam was literally shaking with rage and regardless of how he balled his hands into fists, he could not relax in the slightest bit. It was in that moment did he understand the attachment a dog held to its bone because he felt like Gabriel just snatched his bone away and all Sam wanted to do was snarl and attack.

Dean was radiating an entirely new level of fury and his blazing glare was locked on Gabriel, but he seemed to be holding himself back. He desperately hoped that Aziza dying was another one of Gabriel's sick tricks, but he knew that this was as unforgiving as reality could be. He was waiting to see what the Archangel had up his sleeve though, to see if Gabriel was stalling or if he transported them to this place because there was something he could do that would bring Aziza back.

If not, then the second the smoke cleared and the mirrors were broken, Dean swore that he was going to be the first Human in the history of life to beat a divine being to death with his bare hands.

Castiel was obediently posted at Dean's side, concealing his own pain of not being able to help Aziza. He was trying to settle Dean with his presence like he usually did, but with the amount of sadness filling him, he could only emit sorrowful ambiances and he didn't want Dean to feel his ocean of grief along with his own.

 **"Calm down."** Gabriel soothingly advised and sent calming sensations to the brothers in an attempt to tranquilize the men. He understood how upset everyone was, but there was no need to. Everything was going to be okay. He looked up, searching the sky for her. **"Just look for her."**

And they did just that, waited and watched the sky for the particular thing Gabriel wanted them to discover. For a few minutes, they didn't find anything out of the ordinary in the sky. The moon was shining its pale rays on them and the stars were twinkling as they normally did.

Castiel was the first to notice that some of the stars began dimming until they were no longer shining, like their light had burned out. He furrowed his dark brows and slowly cocked his head to the side as he watched more of the stars lose their luminosity until the midnight sky was simply that, a blank, blue canvas with the moon in the corner.

After another moment, there was a particularly bright twinkle near the moon and that sparkle formed into a star just as the other celestial bodies began decorating the sky again. The lone twinkle had taken the form of a comet and began to move, leaving a lavender streak in its path.

 **"Is an Angel falling?"** Dean asked as he, Sam, Cas and Gabriel stared at the lavender ball of light that was getting closer to them by the second.

 **"That is not an Angel."** With his hand on Dean's shoulder, Castiel began taking a few steps away from where the falling…whatever looked like it was going to crash-land.

Castiel could feel the raw omnipotence the 'comet' held and he was cautious of it. In his experience, only his Father or an Archangel could harbor such power and neither simply fell from the sky to Earth.

Gabriel could sense Dean and Cas moving, but he was focused on watching her fall. The smile on his face seemed permanent. When she was almost ready to land, he looked over his shoulder at Sam. He hadn't moved from his spot and seemed mesmerized by watching her.

 **"Uh, Sam?"** Gabriel waved his hand in front of the younger Winchester's face and Sam blinked. He looked at Gabriel for a second, but his eyes were pulled upwards. **"You might wanna take a few steps back. Impact's a little rough."**

When Sam still didn't budge, Gabriel smirked. He had to move Sam to where his brother and Castiel were to prevent the man from dying.

Gabriel reclaimed his place in front of General Sherman and not a moment later, he began to feel the trembles. It felt like an Archangel had been summoned and was coming to Earth, but he knew it was her. A pale-lavender light shone down on the forest as she neared and a high-pitched whine accompanied her arrival.

Before she touched down, Castiel threw his arms around Sam and Dean. Pulling them down into a crouching position, he enclosed his damaged, raven wings around either brother as a protective barrier to prevent them from getting hurt. The rumblings increased to earthquake-level seisms and the brothers had their hands pressed into their ears in an attempt to block out the earsplitting, whining sound.

Suddenly, the quakes stopped and the pastel-lavender luminosity darkened until the moonlight could be seen again. Castiel looked over his shoulder to see if anything threatening had appeared. He only saw Gabriel reaching for something in the cleft of the giant tree. Slowly, he straightened up and Sam and Dean followed suit. Glancing at them, Cas frowned at the streaks of blood coming out of their ears and asked if they were alright. Sam and Dean didn't hear a word the Angel said, having been rendered deaf by her arrival. Cas quickly healed them and asked if they were okay again.

After getting conformations on good health from the brothers, the trio ventured over to where Gabriel was still rummaging around inside the tree.

 **"There she is."** They heard him say with a chuckle before he pulled himself out of the crack.

When Gabriel turned to face them, he was smiling down at a baby on his arm. She had bright, azure eyes that were absolutely darling and whips of honey-blonde hair hiding under a white headband. She was wrapped in a midnight-blue blanket covered in stars, comets, zodiac signs and constellations. Around her wrist tiny was a familiar purple bracelet with a silver Angel wing charm dangling from it.

And when the baby noticed the trio of men confusedly staring at her, she smiled at them, all gums and drool.

* * *

Well, Luci's finally seen his Soulmate again after so many decades! He'll be making another appearance soon, don't worry.  
Tell me what you think of how things are going so far! What do you guys think is gonna happen in the future? And who else could make an appearance?

Thanks for reading :3


	13. Color Him Father

Gabriel was in the backseat of the Impala with Castiel and Aziza on his lap. He's been making silly faces and tickling her just so he could hear that darling laugh of hers. Aziza had obviously wanted some attention from Cas because she went reaching for him, but Cas had no idea what to do with a baby. Gabriel had to position his hands to hold her up on Cas' legs as she innocently babbled at the dark-haired Angel. Cas actually looked like he was trying to understand what she was saying.

 **"** **I think she likes you, Cassie."** Gabriel smirked.

 **"** **I like you too, Aziza. I think your infant form is adorable."** Aziza stopped smiling and stared at Cas when he spoke. When he finished, she giggled and went reaching for his hair until she got a handful of it and started tugging, trying to get it in her mouth. It didn't hurt Cas at all, but he wondered why she wanted to pull his hair. She's never done that when she was a teenager.

Sam was watching the divine beings entertain an infant Aziza from the passenger seat. He still didn't believe Gabriel when he told them that she was the baby he magically pulled out of a goddamn tree. He watched Aziza die in his arms, he held her corpse and bawled into her lifeless body just like he'd done to Dean when his brother was mauled to death by a Hellhound and dragged to the Pit. He thought he lost her for good, yet there was a pint-sized version of her in the backseat.

Sam didn't think his life could get any weirder than this.

That thought of Gabriel and resurrection drifted around his mind again, then he thought back to just hours ago when Aziza had appeared at the hotel. He knew that she had to be the cause of the raging storm that consumed Lucifer because Gabriel looked half-dead and Castiel wasn't around when it happened. He recalled how Lucifer conducted himself when she appeared too. He was looking at Aziza like she was the one thing he really wanted, that he lived for. Sam saw devotion and relief in the Fallen Archangel's eyes. For those few minutes that he was in Aziza's presence, Lucifer didn't look anything close to evil or angry, he resembled nothing of a Devil. The Winchesters had watched Lucifer slaughter the pagan gods like it was nothing, killed them off like he was squishing bugs. Sam figured that Lucifer could've killed Gabriel and Dean, kidnapped Sam and his Soulmate and disappeared like a thief in the night.

But he didn't.

She didn't say a word to him, but Lucifer seemed to understand that Aziza was pissed off because he was about to kill Gabriel and he let her storm take him away. He could've fought against it or probably made it stop. Sam didn't know if Aziza was a new breed of Angel or if God had created a divine being that was one-of-a-kind, but he had a feeling that Lucifer could've overpowered Aziza, yet he didn't.

Sam realized that Lucifer did not want Aziza to be angry with him, so he let her remove him from her presence. He never thought that the one being that gained the title of 'The Devil' could have a heart.

All this was becoming too much to think about in one sitting and Sam slightly rubbed the side of his head where he felt what had to be his exhausted brain telling him to calm the fuck down with the overanalyzing. He made a mental note to read through Gabriel's journal tonight, then cleared his mind. Facing forward, he glanced at the speed limit sign before they passed it, then to the speedometer. Sam was heavy on the breaks, but Dean had a habit of driving with the gas pedal to the floor.

Sam raised an eyebrow in surprise when he discovered that Baby was currently cruising at a steady 18mph when the limit was 40.

 **"** **Dean, you're going 22 miles** ** _under_** **the speed limit."** Sam pointed out. He saw his brother's vice-like grip on the steering wheel, but Dean's hold seemed to tighten.

 **"** **There's a baby on board and she's not strapped in a car-seat, Sam. The second I go over 20, she's gonna fly through the goddamn window."** In an act of paranoia, Dean glanced into the rear-view mirror to make sure Aziza was still back there with Cas and Gabriel.

Dean was ecstatic to have Aziza back in the family. He didn't care that she was a baby now and he didn't even question how she came back. He was just happy that she was still with them. However, in her infant form, he noticed how dangerous everything seemed. Aziza was a fragile baby and there was nothing protecting her from bug bites or Pneumonia or any other sickness she could contract just by breathing the outside air. He rolled up all the windows, but he didn't feel like that was good enough. He felt like he was going to give her Shaken Baby Syndrome every time the Impala bounced and he was prepared to ride like a bat outta Hell to the nearest hospital when he heard her sneeze. He wanted to stick her in a giant bubble and feed her bean paste because that seemed like the safest option.

 **"** **Dean, if you don't get this metal deathtrap you call a car in gear, I'm gonna give you every STD known and** ** _unknown_** **to mankind."** Gabriel threatened from behind him. He glanced at Aziza and saw her tapping Castiel's open hands in a mock game of Patty Cake. **"I don't understand why you won't let me-"**

 **"** **Because we're Human and Humans drive cars, they don't zap everywhere."** Dean cut the Archangel off, already knowing what he was going to say.

 **"** **It's gonna take** ** _days_** **for us to get to the cabin at this rate."** Gabriel dramatically moaned, smiling when Aziza imitated him. **"At least let me get us closer to Colorado."**

After a moment of stubborn silence from the elder brother, Gabriel was tempted to start kicking the back of Dean's seat like a fussy child on an airplane, but he heard the Hunter sigh as the car slowed to stationary.

Dean leaned over his seat to point his finger at the mischievous Archangel. **"If I can't poop, I'm comin' for your head."**

Gabriel simply smirked and snapped his fingers. Looking out the window, Dean saw the welcoming sign of Breckenridge just a few feet away.

On the drive to the cabin, Gabriel thoroughly explained how Aziza never really died. She shared a similar rebirthing process of that of a Phoenix being reborn from its ashes. If that meant she was immortal or if she simply had a certain amount of lives until she truly died, Gabriel was unsure and so were the Cupids. He also didn't know if there was a weapon or spell that could truly kill her. The only explanation he came up with was that his Father must've knew that something could go wrong with his murderous sons sharing their Soulmate, so He created Aziza with a reset button.

On the occasions that Aziza died, it was always out of Gabriel's control and usually because some godforsaken monster wanted her for dinner, but there were times when she died because of things nobody could prevent, like the time she got hit by a car because she chased the Qilin.

It didn't matter if Gabriel watched Aziza die a million times, he would never get used to it and he never forgave himself for letting it happen because he felt like he failed her. He'd even cry for a moment afterwards, mourning her. He'd wait for her in California and every minute that passed, he feared that she'd never come back.

But as soon as the sun set and twilight emerged to cloak the world in lulling darkness, he'd watch an exceptionally bright comet fall from the sky and he'd be reacquainted with his favorite blonde.

 ** _"_ _In other news, scientists are still baffled by the strange crater created in Rotorua, New Zealand by an unnatural force."_** Dean was on the long dirt road leading to the cabin, but his hand shot to the volume dial on the radio and he turned it to the left, increasing the volume. **_"NASA already has a team deployed from their headquarters in Washington, D.C. as well as members from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida to investigate. An official statement has not yet been released, but there have been speculations of a major satellite or space shuttle falling in Rotorua, similar to the Space Shuttle Columbia falling over Texas and Louisiana in 2003. We'll keep you updated as this story progresses."_**

 **"** **Sounds like Lucifer's vacationing in New Zealand."** Sam noted as Dean was parking.

 **"** **Good, we've got some time before he gets back to the States."** Gabriel said as he cradled Aziza to his chest and carefully climbed out of the car. She started hiccupping because she was laughing so much, but he could feel them lessening.

 **"** **You're saying that like she's gonna be fully grown before then."** Dean said as everyone piled on the front porch while Sam unlocked the door.

 **"** **Zi-Zi doesn't age normally. Give her a couple days, a few hours if we're lucky, and she'll be a teenager again.** Gabriel told him. Before he stepped inside the cabin, he spotted Panos discreetly watching from the cover of the trees and smirked at the Rock Guardians' protectiveness. He stepped inside and joined the rest of the men in the living room, setting Aziza on the couch next to Dean. Almost instinctively, the older Hunter put one hand on Aziza's back and the paternal gesture made Gabe smirk. **"One time, I actually had to raise her. Not, one minute she's a baby. The next minute, she's 12. No, literally raise her** ** _from infant to teenager_** **by Human standards."**

 **"** **I'm still trying to get over the fact that you've taken care of a child."** Sam stated with disbelief evident in his tone, making Gabriel roll his eyes.

 **"** **It's not like this is the first time I've ever taken care of a baby. I've had** ** _eons_** **of practice."** With a wide grin, Gabriel turned to Castiel. **"Isn't that right, little brother?"**

 **"** **Oh, no way."** Dean voiced his disbelief, looking down at Aziza when he felt her tugging on his shirt. She was trying to climb up his arm, but she smiled when she saw him looking at her.

 **"** **Sometimes, the Commanders, which are Archangels, would raise our brothers and sisters in attempts to make them better suited for our battalion."** Gabe explained, sending a smile to Cas as he remembered the Angel when he was just a tiny Putto. **"An adorable little Castiel would always mimic everything I did, save for the pranks because he was a goody two-shoes before he met you two, so I took him under my wing. Literally."**

Castiel looked like he was embarrassed, but no flush coated his cheeks. He was pleading with his eyes for Gabriel not to share any stories of his prepubescence and that only made the Archangel laugh.

Gabriel recalled the day he decided that he wanted Cas in his battalion, but Raphael had his eyes on the blue-eyed Putto too. Gabriel literally scooped a tiny Castiel up with one of his gilded wings and told Raphael to find another little warrior because Cas was his.

Castiel's raven wings were why Gabriel was initially interested in him. An Angel's wings were their most prized possession and all Angels are created with wings ranging from endless colors, but those with black wings were seen as a rarity because very few were born within a millennium. Some Angels thought black wings were exclusive and beautiful, others thought that darkened wings symbolized that an Angel would follow the same path as Lucifer did.

Gabriel noticed that Castiel was almost painfully shy when it came to doing anything with his wings. He always told Cas that his dark wings were badass, but his words of encouragement didn't seem to reassure his younger brother.

Gabriel remembered looking for Castiel one day. He'd disappeared and Heaven wasn't the smallest place, so looking for the tiny Angel was going to take some time. After hours of searching and asking around, he found Castiel in a meadow sitting under an apple tree, one much larger than any seen on Earth. He wasn't alone either. Another Putto was sitting in the grass with Castiel and he was about 2-inches taller, so Gabriel noticed his dirty-blond hair and robin egg-blue eyes.

The blond Putto stood and pointed to one of the apples on the branches, most likely wanting one. He pulled Castiel up on his feet and extended his wings, which could only be described as charcoal with midnight-blue and ebony undertones. He began coaxing Castiel to spread his own wings, then he began to gently flap his enough to hover him above the ground.

It took another minute or so of persuading from the blond Angel, but Gabriel watched with heart-warming pride as Castiel timidly spread his darkened wings.

Later that same day, Castiel confidently presented his dark wings to Gabriel and the Archangel gave he and Balthazar a lesson on flying, taking yet another Putto under his wing.

Watching Castiel and Balthazar mature was an indescribable experience. Castiel always followed the rules and tried to do everything perfectly, while Balthazar was perfectly fine with looking for shortcuts or making an excuse to get out of his tasks, but they were both excellent fighters. Balthazar took after Gabriel and managed to pull the stick out of his ass with his humor and easy-going nature, always willing to pull a hilarious prank or stir up some trouble.

The hardest thing for Gabriel was letting them _both_ go.

When the day came for the matured Angels to be assigned to a battalion, Castiel and Balthazar were deemed to be more suited for Raphael's squadron with Uriel than his. It was never guaranteed that an Angel raised under a Commander would be in his battalion, but Gabriel was hoping that if not both, then _one_ of them would be able to stay with him.

Looking at Castiel now, Gabriel smiled at the Angel's newfound rebelliousness. He never thought that Castiel would step out of line, but the Winchesters had a way of bringing out sides of people that they never thought would be revealed.

He was proud of his little brother.

Once the shock of learning that Gabriel was father material wore off, the third Archangel asked about Kali. The brothers told him where they left her and Sam told Gabriel to go check on her because he was obviously worried about the pagan god. Gabe lingered for a minute, always feeling like Aziza was especially delicate when she was a baby, but he snapped his fingers and turned her bedroom into a nursery before he disappeared to check-in on Kali.

Within the hour and a half that Gabriel was gone, Dean didn't take his eyes off Aziza for a second. She seemed like a happy baby because whenever she looked at him or Sam or Cas, she always smiled. Dean had to teach Cas how to properly hold a baby and when he did, Aziza would wrap her tiny arms around his neck to hug him.

Aziza was walking too and she was constantly on the move. It took her all of 10 minutes to climb up the stairs and of course, Dean was right behind her in case she fell. Then, she climbed back down and was laughing at Dean when he told her he was too old to being doing this. She decided to go outside next and she steered clear of the lake at first, but when it was clear that she wanted to play with the water, Dean took her to the shallowest part where the water was barely an inch deep and she was laughing her ass off as she splashed in it.

After she finished in the backyard, Dean figured it was time to get her something to eat. Since there weren't any jars of baby food, they went searching the internet for what they could feed a baby without killing her. Sam suggested they throw some fruit in the blender and let her eat that mush since it was healthy and safe. Dean's submission, after seeing Aziza's tiny two teeth, was adding some Fruit Loops to the fruit mush. While Sam was blending kiwis and strawberries in the blender, Dean had Aziza sitting on the breakfast bar with a pile of Fruit Loops in front of her. She fed a few of them to Dean and squealed with laughter when he nibbled on her fingers.

Sam came over with the little jar of puréed fruit and smiled at how happy Dean looked with Aziza. He extended the jar to Cas and asked if he wanted to feed her. The Angel's first thought was to simply give Aziza the mush and let her eat it, which he did. And Aziza, being a baby, stuck her hand in the jar, then into her mouth and in seconds, her face was covered in a pinkish-tan smear.

 ** _"_** ** _So let it out and let it in  
Hey Jude, begin_**

 ** _You're waiting for someone to perform with  
And don't you know that it's just you?_**

 ** _Hey Jude, you'll do  
The movement you need is on your shoulder…"_**

Dean began humming as he looked down at the tiny blonde resting on his shoulder. She was quiet, but he didn't know if she'd finally stopped being stubborn and fell asleep or if she was still awake because she wasn't facing him. When he stopped humming, she turned to look at him, but she yawned and her tiny eyelids were half-closed.

After he got her cleaned up from dinner and dressed her for bed, he sat in the white rocking chair in her nursery and rocked her for a few minutes, then he tried to put her down. Being in a nursery brought up memories of when Sam was a baby and Dean would climb into his little brother's crib to make sure he'd be protected throughout the night. As soon as he stood up, she started fussing. 20 minutes and more failed attempts later, Dean's last resort was her favorite song and he remembered when Mary would sing it to him when he was sick.

 **"** **Alright…I'm gonna put you down now…and you're gonna roll with it, okay?"** Dean kept a bit of a singsong tone to his gentle voice as he slowly made the transition from having Aziza on his shoulder to putting her in the white crib. **"I'm not abandoning you, alright? I'm still here, just detaching. Everything's cool…"**

Dean thought Aziza was taking the shift pretty well. He knew that skin-to-skin contact with babies was something important, Mary had told him that, which was probably why Aziza was pitching such a fit about separating from him. This time, she seemed too tired to put up a fight, but as soon as her head touched the soft, pink blankets in the crib, she let out a little wail.

 **"** **Everything's not cool."** Dean sighed as he replaced Aziza on his shoulder. He began pacing again and soothingly rubbed her tiny back. **"I fed you, bathed you, sang your favorite Beatles song, changed your stinky diaper. What more do you want from me?"**

Dean looked down at the baby blonde, noticing that she was quiet again. Aziza was looking over Dean's shoulder and she seemed to be searching for something, but she didn't find it and that just made her pull a face. She started to whine a little, obviously wanting something that Dean didn't have, and the tears were next. She rubbed her eyes, so she knew she was tired just like Dean did, but she was resisting sleep.

 **"** **Alright, know what? You show me what you want, kiddo."**

Dean didn't know what else do, so he gently sat Aziza down on the carpeted floor and kept a hand on her back to keep her upright. He didn't expect her to do anything except start crying, but she sadly looked down at her hand. Dean looked too and he saw a miniature version of Gabriel's bracelet around her wrist. She touched the silver wing charm on the wristlet and let out a sad cry before looking at Dean with tear-filled eyes.

 **"** **Oh."** It all clicked for Dean and he scooped Aziza up again. Like before, she laid her head on his shoulder and one hand was pressed into the bared skin of his neck as she let out tiny groans of sadness. He didn't pray to anyone except Cas, but he was willing to make an exception for her. Dean closed his eyes and thought of the Archangel in question. **"** **Uh…Dean to Gabriel: Do you copy?"**

There was a moment of silence, then Dean heard a snort from behind him. **"Gabriel to Dean: You're a moron."**

Dean turned and Gabriel was sitting in the white rocking chair, one foot on his knee. The hunter raised an eyebrow when he noticed that Gabriel's jacket was missing and the top three buttons on his black shirt were unfastened. Kali must've shown him some appreciation for saving her.

 **"** **There's my favorite girl."** He smiled at Aziza, who lifted her head to look at him the second she sensed her Archangel was in the room. Dean handed her over and she snuggled up to the Archangel, looking like a little puppy curling up with its owner **. "And you're still in once piece? Dean, I don't know why I ever underestimated you."**

Gabriel curled his right wing around himself to let Aziza stroke it like she always did as a baby. She refused to go to sleep without petting Gabriel's wings beforehand and he knew she'd be slumbering in a few short minutes.

 **"** **I'm barely keeping her alive."** Dean said, leaning on the white crib. He watched in confusion as Aziza's little hand seemed to be stroking something.

 **"** **No, really. You're doing a great job with her."** The Archangel told the Hunter.

Maybe it was the aftereffects of hooking up with Kali, for what she said was the last time, or the fact that Dean and Sam somehow managed to keep a baby alive that put him in an affectionate mood, but Gabriel's words were honest. He knew none of them were initially on each other's' good sides due to their history, but through Aziza, they seemed to shift to friendlier terms. Gabriel wouldn't ever come out and say that the Winchesters were friends of his, but he wouldn't call them his enemies either.

Gabriel glanced down at the baby in his arms and smiled when he saw that she was peacefully snoozing. Carefully, he stood up and went to the crib. He lowered Aziza into the mass of soft blankets without a hitch. Dean rolled his eyes at how easily she went down.

 **"** **Dean-o, note taking time."** Gabriel quietly announced and captured Dean's attention. He went to the shelf holding diapers, wipes and mainly pink baby clothes and took something off the top.

 **"** **Whenever she goes to sleep, even if she's taking a nap, put this near her, crank it and let it play."** Gabriel turned and had something circular in his hand. Looking at it up close, Dean realized that it was a music box. The box itself was either black or midnight-blue, but there were golden stars and zodiac signs adorning the outside, similar to the blanket Aziza was wrapped with. Gabriel lifted the top and a silver Angel was mounted on the inside. He turned the little crank on the bottom three times and a song began playing that made the silver Angel slowly spin. Dean swore he's heard the tune before, but he couldn't place it. Gabriel set the music box on the table next to Aziza's crib. **"Do that until she's a teenager again."**

 **"** **What's so special about a music box?"** Dean asked as he watched Gabriel tuck Aziza in with the starry blanket. She was still in the same position he laid her down in, didn't move an inch.

 **"** **I made it for her, just like her bracelet. It'll get our Aziza back, not some self-sacrificing, murderous, Winchester-influenced hell-spawn with abandonment issues."**

 **"** **You're a hell-spawn with abandonment issues."** Dean immaturely retorted, which made Gabriel roll his eyes. **"Flying dick."**

 **"** **Cannon fodder."** Gabe shot back.

 **"** **Screw you."** Dean couldn't help but smirk. **"I thought you approved of my parenting."**

 **"** **I said I approved of you being able to care for a baby. I wouldn't wish** ** _your_** ** _parenting_** **on my worst enemy."** Gabriel clarified. He stared at Aziza sleeping in her crib, then looked at Dean. He had no doubts that the man wouldn't be a good father-figure because he basically raised Sam and the younger Winchester turned out okay. Still, he couldn't help but always worry over Aziza. He knew that she was a powerful force, but to him, she was a delicate Daisy growing in the middle of a warfield. He wouldn't admit it, but he was reassured that she'd be safe now that the Winchester brothers and Castiel were with her. **"I guess things are okay here. I'll check-in when I can, but I'm gonna go keep the Demons at bay and an eye out for Luci."**

Dean furrowed his brows. **"What Demons?"**

 **"** **Whenever she…respawns, let's go with that, it kinda sends out a PSA to any Demon within a 20-mile radius from her crash site."** Gabriel learned that after one of her very first deaths while she was with him. He didn't know about it before, but he made the mistake of staying in California when Aziza came back and a swarm of Demons were breaking his door down that same night. After that experience, he got started on finding a place away from California that he could ward against monsters so that Aziza could grow up without getting scared or being hurt. That resulted with the creation of the cabin and the Rock Guardians. He unsheathed his Angel Blade and wiggled it. **"I don't know how long it lasts, but I'm not taking any chances."**

 **"** **Are you gonna be able to handle that by yourself?"**

 **"** **I'm one of Heaven's most terrifying weapons, Dean. I could destroy the entire Swiss Guard in a half-hour."** Gabriel reminded the Hunter. He knew that Humans thought he was a just another guy because he was inhabiting a man's body, but in reality, he was a divine being with heavenly power whose true form was astronomic in size and would undoubtedly blind a Human's eyes. Gabe smirked at Dean. **"It's cute that you're worried about lil' ol' me though. I knew you cared."**

 **"** **Know what? Eat me, Gabriel."**

 **"** **Maybe later, big boy."**

Gabriel was still smirking at and Dean flipped the Archangel off before he disappeared.

 **SN*SN*SN*SN***

 **"Dean, Dean!"** A 5-year-old Aziza called the eldest brother as she ran into the living room.

The blonde had literally aged from an infant to a preschooler overnight and Castiel, not having to sleep, was the first to notice. Aziza managed to convince the gullible Angel that she could eat candy for breakfast and when the brothers came to get something to eat, they were made aware of the bubbly girl, but they weren't surprised since Gabriel told them Aziza didn't age like Humans did.

Dean stepped out of the kitchen and Aziza hugged his leg, looking up at him with those sparkling jewels she had for eyes. He remembered when she did the same thing when she asked to learn how to drive Baby, so he knew she wanted something from him. He suspected she wanted more candy. He had to hide what was left of it because she ate 2 bags of Smarties and rainbow Nerds for breakfast. Dean was actually surprised that the girl wasn't bouncing off the walls after consuming so much sugar.

 **"I can't find Castiel or Sam. Will you play with me, pretty please?"**

Dean knew that Sam was somewhere around the cabin, but Castiel was out at the moment. The Angel had informed Dean that he was helping Gabriel keep an eye out for Lucifer with the aid of Kali and another Angel named Balthazar. The blond Angel still had no knowledge of the Soulmate's existence, nor did the pagan god, but after hearing of Gabriel's near-death encounter with Lucifer, Balthazar wanted the Fallen Archangel dead or back in the Cage and was willing to help in any way he could while still keeping his faked death a secret. Once Lucifer was dealt with, Balthazar promised to take Castiel and Gabriel out for a night of debauchery.

Castiel seemed content to be interacting with his brothers and Dean knew that the Angel sometimes wished he could return to Heaven, to his real home, but he shared his gratitude to Cas for looking out for his Earth-bound family.

 **"Thank you for choosing Winchester International Airlines. Last flight to the Candy Kingdom is now boarding."** Dean cupped his hand around his mouth as if he were talking into the speaker on an airplane's intercom. He bent down and put his back to Aziza and she climbed on without hesitancy. Dean held onto her little legs to make sure she wouldn't fall off before he mimicked the sounds an airplane would make and began bouncing on his heels, making Aziza laugh in his ear. **"Prepare for takeoff!"**

Dean abruptly stood and zipped out of the kitchen to maneuver around the furniture in the living room. Every now and then, he'd stop and spin around, which made Aziza gleefully scream, before he'd start running again. He remembered doing the same thing to Sam when they were kids. Of course, this was long before Sam's insane growth spurt. When his little brother would be bummed out because their Dad went out on a Hunt and left them alone, Dean would run around their motel room with Sammy on his back until his brother was having too much fun to think about being upset.

Unknown to the pair below, Sam was watching his brother play with Aziza from the balcony above the kitchen and smiled at the sight of them. He noticed that his brother's practically taken the place of Aziza's shadow because he was never too far away from the tiny blonde. He spent a majority of last night and this morning leafing through Gabriel's journal and slightly avoiding Aziza by confining himself to the basement. He's been secretly watching the interactions between the blonde and his brother though.

 **"Your brother should really reconsider having kids."** Gabriel suddenly appeared next to Sam and the taller man flinched. He sent a glare to Gabriel, but the other man didn't notice. The Archangel smiled as he watched Dean run around with Aziza on his back, their joyful laughter leaving a trail behind them. He's done the same thing to Aziza countless times. **"I hate to say anything good about the grunt, but he'd actually be a top-notch Dad. And I'm speaking from experience. In another universe, one where he's completely oblivious to Hunting, he had four little rugrats with someone named Lisa, a pot belly and a 9-to-5 job that he hated to Hell, but he was the happiest man in the world."**

 **"What universe was that?"**

 **"One where John died in service, Mary lived as a happy widow and you were never born."**

Sam's expression fell. He was already being reminded of his brother's parental skills and he felt that heavy burden starting to weigh him down because he was the reason Dean didn't was robbed of so many childhood experiences, of why Dean couldn't go off and make a family of his own, then Gabriel had gone and told him that.

 **"So, I'm preventing my brother from being happy and our mother from living?"**

 **" _Alternative universe_ , Sam. Don't make me spell it out for you. I thought you were the genius." **Gabriel teased and Sam huffed in response. **"You've been distant since she came back. Why?"**

 _'Because I really like Aziza and having to raise her, then going back to how things were before makes me feel like a pedophile.'_

 **"It's just a lot to take in."** Sam said, clearing his throat. He decided not to voice his thoughts because he didn't know if Aziza had told Gabriel about things getting romantic between them, but he reasoned that she should be the one to tell him. The Archangel would be calmer that way and Sam didn't want to get turned into a cockroach or something because of Gabriel's over-protectiveness. **"Her dying, then coming back to life. She was a baby last night, she's a kid the next morning. I guess I'm having a hard time adjusting."**

Gabriel nodded in understanding. It took him a second to get used to Aziza coming back to life the first time, but Sam watched her die in his arms. Having her back must be surreal for the Hunter.

Dean had tired himself out with running around the house with Aziza. He landed their plane and Aziza was wobbly walking around for a second, dizzy from Dean spinning her around. They made their way upstairs and to the mini-living room, Sam having moused downstairs without either noticing. Aziza grabbed some crayons and construction paper from her room, which 'magically' changed from a nursery into a Cinderella-themed bedroom with a carriage-style bed-frame, and they started coloring on the floor.

 **"What'd you draw, Dean?"** Aziza asked, still scribbling on her paper.

 **"I drew me shooting a Witch while eating a slice of pie."** Dean finished shading in the Witch's orange hair, then he showed Aziza his drawing.

The Witch had X's for eyes to show that she was dead and there were bullets going through her from Dean's gun. He drew an abnormally tall Sam and Castiel was in his drawing too.

 **"Cool."** Aziza admired Dean's sketch and he chuckled. His drawing skills couldn't outrank a 3rd Grader's, but Aziza looked like she thought he was a world-famous artist.

 **"What about you, Picasso? What's your chicken scratch?"**

 **"I drew my family."** Aziza smiled and showed Dean what she drew. He was sure that the misshapen blob of brown was meant to be the cabin and the Rock Guardians were surrounding it. The similarity to the real beings was uncannily similar and Dean wondered if Gabriel had made one of Aziza's drawings come to life to act as her protectors. Aziza pointed to the trio of men next to the lake. **"That's Gabe with his giganta-normous wings and you and Castiel."**

Dean smiled as he looked at her representation of Gabriel. He was flying in the air with golden butterfly wings on his back and his Angel Blade in his hand. He knew that he was the figure on the ground wearing a green flannel and eating a slice of pie; his speech bubble said 'I'm awesome!'. Castiel was next to him and Aziza made his blue eyes particularly big, but he looked like he was wearing a tan dress that could only be her representation of his trench coat.

Further away from everything else, Dean noticed another pair holding hands. **"Who are those two?**

 **"That's me and Sam."** Aziza told him as she picked up a Tickle Me Pink crayon and started adding more hearts above them. **"I like Sam, gonna marry him when I'm old enough. And you get to walk me down the aisle at our wedding."**

Dean didn't know that little kids talked or even knew about marriage, but Aziza obviously did and she seemed to have everything planned out. He liked the thought of walking her down the aisle though. She'd look so gorgeous in her wedding dress and he couldn't imagine how star-struck his brother would look when he saw his bride. Sam would be thrilled about their marriage because that was something he's always wanted. A wife, 2.5 kids and a house with a dog. They were safe at the cabin and didn't need to sleep with one eye open, so Dean could imagine Aziza waddling around the house with her engorged belly for a few months, then Sam chasing a green-eyed little blond kid in the backyard. Dean would give them a German Shepard as a wedding gift just to give Sam that perfect, normal life he's always wanted.

They didn't have many friends, but Dean knew Jody Mills had to be at the wedding to embarrass Sam. He made a mental note to give her a call later to update her on he and his brother and eventually, Aziza should get acquainted with her. The blonde's never said anything about having friends and he's never caught her chattering on the phone to anyone other than Gabriel, so Dean could only guess that she didn't have anyone, other than the men staying with her, to socialize with. Dean knew she'd get along with Alex and Claire too. He could picture them having a slumber party or something. Aziza would be putting some girly braid in Alex's hair while swapping Hunter stories with Claire.

Dean didn't realize he's been daydreaming the entire time, but the sound of a wrapper made him come out of his thoughts. Looking at Aziza, he found that she was devouring a Nerds Rope and what was left of the bag of Smarties was an empty now.


	14. You Know You Make My World Light Up

Dean's eyes fluttered open, heavy lids threatening to lure him back to sleep. He was in Aziza's room and somehow managed to fit on her twin-sized mattress. He looked down at himself and saw that the 5-year-old was still curled in the crook of his arm while he was holding open a russet book.

He and Sam returned to the cabin yesterday after being lured to Salem, Missouri. Three people had gone missing within the same week, but a body was found with its throat ripped out and roughly, 6.2 ounces of blood missing from the corpse. All signs pointed to Vampires. Usually, Dean would've been thrilled to hack off Vamp heads for hours, but he hesitated. With Aziza in her current state, he had no idea how he was going to go Hunting without someone watching her.

Castiel offered to stay behind and look after Aziza. He ensured a highly skeptical Dean that since Aziza came back, he's been watching parenting programs on TV and he had better insight on how to take care of a Human child. After Dean reminded Castiel to call them if _anything_ happened, Sam had to drag his brother out the door.

They stayed in Salem for 4 days, tracking and beheading the nest of Vampires with ease. Whenever they had a moment to spare, Dean was calling Castiel to check in. He kept reminding the Angel not to let Aziza eat candy for every meal, asking if she was still alive, then demanding proof in the form of talking to the blonde. According to her, she and Castiel have spent a majority of their time playing in Zeallegon. Dean had no idea what that meant, but pegged it as them pretending. At the end of every call, Sam would tell Dean that he was going to turn into a wart if he kept worrying.

The brothers came home this afternoon and Aziza was happy to see them both. Dean was relieved to find her in once piece and spent the rest of the day with her; she usually sat on his foot and hitched a ride around the cabin. She even helped him cook hamburgers and bacon-cheese fries for dinner. When it was time for bed, she asked Dean to read her a bedtime story, but there were no children's books within the cabin. Aziza didn't want a Mother Goose story anyway. She went down into the basement and easily found a leather-bound book containing the stories of Greek gods and goddesses, but it wasn't the Iliad or the Odyssey, nor was it written in Greek. Actually, the book didn't have a title at all. Dean wondered if Gabriel had written it himself or if the Archangel collected it within his time on Earth.

Aziza flipped though the severely aged pages with the utmost delicacy until she found the goddess she wanted to hear about. Dean read her the story of Helen of Troy and he didn't know which one of them fell asleep first, but he knew he succeeded in lulling the blonde to sleep.

He closed the aged book and set it on the table next to the bed. Dean used all his swiftness to slide Aziza off him and onto the mattress, then froze to see if she'd wake up. When she didn't stir, he slowly got out of her bed without making a sound. He remembered Gabriel's instructions about what to do when she went to sleep and spotted the music box on her vanity.

Dean stood and went to take a step, but he felt his shirt catch on something. Turning around, he saw that Aziza had the hem of his shirt clutched in her grasp. He tried to tug his shirt out of her hold, but each yank was to no avail. She was not letting him go. With a sigh, Dean pulled his shirt over his head and folded it as best he could next to Aziza's head.

Dean grabbed the music box, turned the handle time and set it back on the table. He tucked her in and dropped a kiss on her head before quietly leaving her room, keeping her door open just a crack.

* * *

 **"Sammy, get up here!"** Dean called his brother from the top of the staircase leading to the library.

Aziza was still a 5-year-old and she was currently perched on Dean's shoulders. She spent most of the day in the lake because she managed to turn herself into a mermaid with a lavender tail. She conjured Marina the Mermaid from a French cartoon she liked called _Zig & Sharko _and they were giggling and splashing around in the lake for most of the morning.

Dean felt like _he_ was going to go stir-crazy from how much time Sam's been spending in the library, so he planned an outing for them all today. He had absolutely no insight on how to style a little girl's hair, but he managed to give Aziza a pair of high pigtails with sparkly blue ribbons, resembling the floppy ears of a Basset Hound, and a bang to cover her forehead. He found a denim jumper in her closet, but she was wearing an old AC/DC shirt of his that he hemmed to fit her small frame. She'd gotten her hands on his phone and started playing the music on there, then she started grooving to _You Shook Me All Night Long._

Dean didn't know why, but he was unbelievably proud of how she was being brought up...maybe because he was making such an impact on her. It felt right to him though, natural even. He knew he earned some parental intuition from his childhood and raising Sam, so maybe that was why he was at ease and found such happiness in raising Aziza.

Sam finally climbed up the staircase and he had that notepad in his hands again, but he glanced up from it to Dean. His eyes traveled higher and he smiled at Aziza perched on his brother's shoulders, which made the blonde coyly giggle. **"What's up?"**

 **"We're going out."** Dean told him.

 **"Out where?"**

 **" _Outside_." ** Aziza answered, sounding like a mini Gabriel.

While Sam was getting ready, Dean went to the Impala and strapped Aziza in the backseat. He was tempted to buy a car-seat when they came home, but without knowing how long she'd stay at her current age, he didn't want it to go to waste. When Sam was coming out, Aziza was asking to hear some of the music she heard on Dean's phone and he gladly popped an AC/DC cassette into the player.

Dean was driving them around Breckenridge and ignoring Sam's questions of where they were going. When Sam stopped his interrogation, Dean glanced at his brother and noticed he had that notepad in his hands again. Unlike before, Sam was freely writing on the yellow paper and he stopped a few times, but he got right back to penning. Dean wondered what his brother was scribbling, but it seemed pretty important, so he wouldn't go snooping.

Dean was keeping an eye out for the building he was looking for when he noticed _Back In Black_ playing on the radio and he turned it up. He heard Sam's amused chuckle as he was tapping the steering wheel to the beat and he glanced into the mirror to check on Aziza. Dean smiled, bright and wide, when he saw the little blonde headbanging back there. He pat Sam on the arm and nodded his head to the backseat. When Sam turned, he just barely managed to stop himself from flinching when he saw that Castiel had appeared, but the Angel was watching Aziza. She was rocking out to the tune and she was mouthing the chorus, but she reached her hand up to Cas' head and guided him to start headbanging until he was doing it on his own. Sam laughed at them. Aziza was starting to remind him of Dean when he was a kid.

Finally, Dean parked in front of a white, light blue and cerise ice-cream parlor. He heard Aziza give a cheer of approval and when everyone got out of the car, Dean noticed Castiel joined them on the ride. They went inside the parlor and Aziza was on Dean's arm as they surveyed all the flavors to choose from, Sam explaining some of the flavors to Castiel. Once everyone placed their orders, they found a table big enough to hold all of them and began enjoying their treats.

Sam had a bowl of Azuki and Green Tea ice cream, commenting that he's been wanting to try it for a while when Dean questioned why he was eating green ice cream that wasn't mint. The older brother had a bowl of Rocky Road to himself. Aziza and Castiel were sharing a large sundae bowl of their own creation. A single scoop of Blue Moon, Cookies & Cream, Tiger Tail, Raspberry Ripple, Moose Tracks, Birthday Bash and Tutti Frutti ice cream with marshmallows, Gummy Bears, melted fudge and sprinkles on top. And to top it off, Aziza had 'borrowed' a bottle of chocolate syrup from another table just to take chocolate shots.

Sam and Dean were watching the divine beings now. They both had their lips covered in ice cream, but they were still enjoying their ice creams and neither's gotten brain freeze yet. When they finally stopped, they wiped their faces off and the brothers were waiting for them to start bouncing off the walls. They knew it took an entire liquor store of booze for Cas to get drunk, but they didn't know what the circumstances were for sugar.

 **"Dean,** **I gotta go potty."** Aziza told the eldest brother, scrunching her face a bit. Sam was snickering.

 **"Do you need me to come with you?"** She nodded and Dean sighed. **"I'm so gonna get slapped."**

 **"I'm fine with escorting her to the bathroom. I need to wash my hands anyway."** Cas offered, oblivious to the real problem. Dean knew that the Angel viewed himself as gender neutral, regardless of the fact that he was inhabiting a male Vessel.

Dean slid his bowl to the side just so he could lean on the table, seriousness clear as day on his face. **"Cas, if someone slaps you, woman or not, I'm gonna pry open a Devil's Gate with my bare hands and fling their ass in."**

Even though his threat was earnest, Dean's words got the table to laugh and Castiel was even smiling, but Aziza let out a little yelp. **"Dean, quit it! I'm gonna 'splode!"**

Dean was quick when he stood and grabbed Aziza under her arms, pulling her over the table. He spotted the doors to the bathroom and was jogging to them as Aziza made little sounds of discomfort. **"Don't pee, don't pee, don't pee, don't pee, don't pee."** He kept chanting as he pushed the women's bathroom door open and set Aziza down in the first stall with an opened door. He pulled it shut and he heard her lock it, but he knocked. **"Zia, don't sit on the seat. Put some paper down."**

After getting an affirmative from the blonde and hearing her pulling one of the toilet liners from the dispenser, he leaned on the door and waited for her to finish. The parlor wasn't packed, but a few women drifted into the bathroom and they eyed Dean because he was clearly out of place, but he awkwardly pointed to the stall and the women seemed to understand the gesture. After another minute, he heard the toilet flush and the lock unlatching.

 **"Done?"** Dean asked as he turned around. His brows raised in surprised when he was greeted with a tween-aged Aziza. She had to be 11 or 12-years-old now, her honey-blonde hair was starting to show golden-blonde streaks, but she took her pigtails down to let her locks flow freely down her back and tied the ribbons around her left wrist to act as bracelets. She could still fit the clothes he dressed her in, but they seemed to grow to accommodate her new size.

 **"All done!"** She smiled, skipping over to the sink.

Dean noticed that even as she aged, her height seemed to be reluctant to change because she was the same height as the sink's counter, which was parallel to his hips, and she couldn't reach the soap or faucet. With a smile, Dean lifted Aziza and she washed her hands.

 **"Is that your daughter?"** A voice asked from next to Dean.

He was watching Aziza dry her hands off at the air dryer mounted on the wall, but she was playing with it now. She stuck her head under the nozzle to let the warm air blow her hair back, then she tucked the nozzle into her shirt and let the air blow puff it up like a balloon, giggling the entire time.

Dean smiled, turning to the voice. **"My little sister, actually."**

When he focused, Dean realized that he was talking to a woman, which shouldn't have been a surprise considering he was in the women's bathroom. The woman could perfectly be described as a curvy cutie and her chocolate-brown hair was coiled with bouncy curls. Her jade eyes twinkled in delight as Dean's attention didn't stray from her, but she turned to the sink to wash her hands.

The brunette leaned over the counter, in a suggestive motion to give Dean an eyeful of what she had to offer from her full breasts to her plump ass, as she washed her hands. And Dean did just that, scanning her body with laudatory eyes and a wicked grin tugging at his lips. Something started pulling his hand though and looking down, Dean saw that Aziza had abandoned the air dryer to try to drag him out of the bathroom. Someone obviously didn't want him getting any feminine attention, so with a smile, Dean let Aziza pull him out of the bathroom.

Sam and Castiel were missing and their table had been cleared. After a moment, the pair came out of the men's room and Sam proposed they take a trip to a playground so that Aziza could get rid of all the sugar she just inhaled. It took almost 20 minutes of driving, but they found a large playground filled with cheerful children and their parents or babysitters. Before everyone got out of the car, Dean warned that the first time anybody called he and his brother a couple, he was going to castrate them in front of their kids.

 **"Alright, Zia. We're-"** Dean looked down his leg, expecting the blonde to be there like she usually was, but Aziza was missing. She had to have gotten out of the car, but she wasn't anywhere in Dean's sight. He gripped his brother's shoulder, still frantically looking around the playground. **"Sam, my tiny person is missing."**

Sam took a look around himself, knowing that Dean sometimes relied on his eyes, but he didn't spot Aziza climbing on the GeoDome or being raised on a seesaw and his brother looked like he was about to have a Panic Attack, so he tried to soothe him. **"Dean, calm down."**

 **"She's _missing_ , Sam! Demons could be lurking around this place!" **Dean stressed.

Castiel scanned everyone within the park and found that none of them were supernatural beings in disguise. **"Everyone here is Human."** He affirmed.

 **"Oh, that's great. That's just groovy. That narrows it down to the possibility of some _Human_ sicko luring her away with candy into his pedo-mobile." ** Dean's sarcasm could barely be detected because he was literally five seconds away from dropping dead. How could he have been so irresponsible? He saw Cas' confused face, but ignored it. He was not in the mood to explain what a pedo-mobile was.

 **"We're in a park. She probably just got excited and ran off to do her own thing."** Sam reasoned and Dean looked at his brother like he was _past_ insane. **"She ate seven scoops of ice-cream and sucked down a bottle of chocolate syrup, Dean. She's sugar-high."**

 **"Kids don't 'run off to do their own thing', Sam! As soon as she's 20-feet away, she'd start freaking out because she couldn't see us anymore! _That's_ what kids do!" ** Dean knew that from personal experience, _distinctly_ remembering how a young Sam had all but lost his mind when he couldn't see his big brother sitting on the park bench.

The trio of men each took a direction to search for Aziza and took off, calling for their blonde.

Unknown to them, Aziza had wandered over to the hospital across the street from the park. A crossing guard was there to safely get her across the street and she walked inside the medical building with another bunch of people. Due to her height, the receptionist didn't see Aziza walking by from over the desk.

Aziza wandered down the pristine halls of the hospital and poked her head inside some of the rooms with open doors. Most of the patients smiled when they saw her and she smiled back, but those people were fine. They were here for some kind of minor surgery or because they were experiencing symptoms of what they thought was some life-threatening disease, but was really just irritated allergies or a minor cold.

Aziza took the elevator up to the next floor and repeated the process of looking into patients' rooms to evaluate their health. Like on the previous floor, most of the patients would be fine, but she did come across a teenage girl who was bawling her eyes out because of the bulky cast surrounding her leg. She was on the phone with someone and wailing about not being able to go to Prom with whomever Charlie was, how her braces had been taken off a week ago and she just picked out the perfect dress last weekend, but wasn't able to wear it.

At this age, Aziza had no idea what Prom was, but it seemed like an important event for the girl. The teenager just put her free hand over her eyes, her dyed sangria hair falling over her face, as she continued to sob and Aziza stepped into the room. She put her hand on the older girl's elevated cast and learned that the broken bone was due to the teenager's participation in gymnastics.

As she kept her hand on the cast, Aziza could feel the damaged bone repairing until it was perfectly repaired. She ran out of the room, the squeak of her sneakers the only indication that she was there, and hid behind the door to watch. The teenager had sniffled and ran a hand through her hair to push it back when she looked down at her leg. She ended her call and carefully took her leg out of the splint it was resting in and tenderly set it on the ground. She buzzed for a nurse and one quickly appeared, stunned that the teenager was moving on what was thought to be a severely broken leg.

Aziza continued he journey throughout the hospital. She performed miracles on a few more patients and waited to hear their doctor or nurse confirm that they were cured. In one room, there was an elderly man lost in a coma. When Aziza touched his hand, she could hear his three daughters telling him that he was going to wake up in time to attend the youngest daughter's wedding. The ceremony was in 3 days, but the man wouldn't be conscious for another 7 months and even then, he wouldn't be allowed out of the hospital for weeks.

Aziza concentrated as hard as she could as she tenderly healed the man's aggressive brain tumor, that his family didn't know about until he had the seizure that landed him in his current state. Aziza completely destroyed each and every cell of the tumor and made sure that none would be able to grow back. As an added gift, she extended the man's life for another 10 years so he'd get to spend more time with his daughters and grandchildren.

Before Aziza left, she buzzed for the man's Nurse as he began to stir awake after being unconscious for a month. She continued to travel though the hospital in search of people to heal, but she passed the Play Room on her way and couldn't resist. She joined some of the other children playing with toys until they were ushered back to their rooms by their parents or nurses.

After her break, Aziza journeyed to the newly remodeled nursery for newborn babies. The hospital decided to move the room to a higher level due to a nurse kidnapping one of the children a few years ago. Aziza managed to sneak into the babies-only room and she was smiling in glee at all of the infants swaddled in blue or pink blankets. She was pleased to find that most of the babies were happy and healthy, even the few premature ones. However, there was one baby boy in an incubator because he was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.

Aziza slid her hand into one of the holes on the incubator, gently settled it on top of the baby's tummy and healed his tiny heart. The baby even cooed at her when she finished and she beamed at him.

Just about done with the hospital, Aziza figured that she'd go back to the main floor and to the playground. The elevator dinged and the doors opened to let Aziza out. As she walked past the rooms of the people she already healed, seeing that teenage girl who had a cast on her leg wearing a very posh dress as she posed for the other people in the room, she noticed that a previously empty room was now occupied.

Curious, Aziza looked inside the room to find a girl who had to be the same age as she was lying up in bed. There was a pink scarf tied around the girl's head, but she just slid it off and set it on her lap. The girl had no hair on her head and her eyebrows were thinning, but she must've been a brunette.

Aziza stepped into the room and parked herself next to the girl's bed. She was smiling at Aziza with an everlasting twinkle in her pear-green eyes that made the blonde grin too.

 **"Hiya, my name's Aziza."**

 **"I'm Dixie."**

 **"Are you sick or are you just here for a mean old shot?"**

Dixie nodded and her smile turned from elated to doleful, but she tried to stay happy for Aziza. **"I have Leukemia. The doctors say I gotta have chemo appointments to make it go away."**

Aziza frowned, but it wasn't at Dixie's words. It was because she was scanning her.

Aziza could see the inside of Dixie, saw her blood cells. Dixie had Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and the lymphocytes had already spread into her blood. Her white blood cells were in dangerously low quantities and another sickness or infection would have no difficulties affecting her. Fortunately, her Cancer wasn't growing rapidly, but more than half of the lymphocytes in her system were affected by the disease and her organs were next. It was rare that someone as young as Dixie would have this type of Cancer, but sicknesses didn't play favorites.

The chemotherapy treatments would only control Dixie's disease for another few months and that was only if the girl continued to fight. That was one of the hardest battle a kid could ever endure, but no child should. Dixie shouldn't be stuck in this hospital and in pain. She shouldn't always feel nauseous or be as thin as she was and she shouldn't have lost her beautiful chestnut-brown hair. She should be playing with her friends outside. Her parents shouldn't have to suffer watching their only child slowly fade away and being utterly useless to help.

 **"I'm gonna get better…I hope I get better."** Dixie spoke as if she were expecting to receive a heartfelt apology from Aziza. She was used to people pitying her. Her head hung for a moment, then she seemed to perk up and she smiled, a genuine smile, at the blonde. **"The Fireworks Festival's tonight. Mommy and Daddy have been taking me and my Uncle Tom to watch since I was little. I really wanna go, but I don't think I can this time."**

 **"Maybe, we could wish you better."** Aziza proposed and Dixie looked at her with hopeful eyes. The blonde climbed into Dixie's bed, mindful of the IVs and other monitoring devices attached to the girl, and sat on her knees next to her. **"You and me together, we're gonna wish for you to be okay and I bet it's gonna come true and you're gonna go see the fireworks tonight."**

 **"Okay."** Dixie smiled.

Aziza gently took Dixie's thin, colder hands in her warm ones and layered them over one another with Aziza's hands like the bread to their hand-sandwich. She put her forehead on Dixie's and waited for the girl to close her eyes. Aziza kept her eyes open as she heard Dixie began to wish for better health, that her parents didn't have to cry anymore. Aziza didn't take her eyes off Dixie's closed ones as she saw her unique lavender light, the phantasmagoric shades of her very own hybrid Grace, shine in between the tiny fissures of their hands for a few seconds, healing the sick girl in bed, before dimming.

Aziza heard Dixie relaxed exhale and the girl's already feeble grip slackened as she leaned back into the pillows. Aziza carefully climbed off Dixie's hospital bed, buzzed for the nurse and left the room to let the girl sleep.

An hour passed as Dixie's parents were called and numerous tests were conducted on the girl. Aziza patiently waited in the hallway, nibbling on a Twizzler she got from a passing Nurse. She was sitting in a chair that gave her a perfect view of Dixie's father restlessly pacing as her mother stiffly sat next to the bed. Aziza felt a sudden spike of anxiety near her, but she didn't acknowledge it because she was waiting for Dixie to return from whatever tests the doctors were performing.

That walking source of crippling worry was none other than Dean Winchester as he searched the halls, backtracking when he noticed the blonde child sitting in a chair.

The only reason Dean bothered to look in the hospital was because he remembered Castiel telling him that he admired Aziza's ability to heal things. While searching for a case, he remembered seeing something in a newspaper about various hospitals in Breckenridge experiencing miracles too. One of the articles even stated that there had to be an Angel watching over town due to some of the patients miraculously being cured of all their ailments.

Dean sprinted down the hall and to Aziza. He got on his knees and hugged the girl like his life depended on it, but he was calming down knowing that she was okay.

 **"Don't ever run off like that again."** Dean was trying to scold Aziza for wandering, but his tone held no harshness or anger. It was just full of relief. He pulled away and noticed that she wasn't paying him any attention, her eyes fixed on something over his shoulder. **"Are you even here right now?"**

 **"Shh."** The blonde silenced him with a finger to his lips. She pointed to Dixie's room and the doctor had just returned to the room with the girl.

 **"I'm not sure what to make of it."** The doctor told Dixie's parents. They were clutching each other's hands in a tight embrace as they tried to prepare themselves for the unbearable news that their daughter had a time-range until she died. The doctor tried to reassure them with her kind smile and Dixie was beaming in bed, feeling better than she has since she was diagnosed. There was even a layer of hair growing back on her head. **"Dixie's immune system is functioning at 100% and her white blood cells have fully reproduced. She's gained a healthy six-and-a-half pounds and she walked down the hall four times without help or getting tired."**

 **"You're saying she's…is she really…"** Dixie's mother tried to ask the one question she's wanted to since the day her daughter was diagnosed with Leukemia. She couldn't hold back her jubilant tears, not that she wanted to.

 **"We've ran countless tests, but nothing's come back."** The doctor replied. **"There isn't a single trace of Leukemia in Dixie's system. She's cured. I guess the town's Angel stopped by."**

And with that conformation, both parents broke out in relieved tears and heartfelt laughter. They went to their daughter and hugged her, smothered her in kisses. They told Dixie she was cured and the girl let out a squeal of pure glee.

Dean smiled at the sight and looked down at the little blonde at his hip. **"You did that, huh?"**

 **"She wanted to watch the fireworks tonight."** Aziza told him. Her focus was still on Dixie's family and Dixie spotted her from under her parents' affection. She waved at Aziza and the blonde waved back, beaming.

 **"Why don't we go watch them too?"** Dean offered, wanting nothing more than to give some sort of praise for what she did today.

Aziza's response was a bouncing laugh as she hugged Dean's leg.

 **SN*SN*SN*SN***

Dean parked the Impala in the lot of the venue hosting the Fireworks Festival, finally finding a spot. It was going on 8:30pm and there were groups of people headed towards the reserved space. Following the crowds, they all got green wristbands and complimentary blankets to sit on before walking through the gates. There were all sorts of booths and rigged games to play, port-o-potties, concession stands selling handheld foods or sugary snacks and souvenir kiosks vending sparklers, Bang Snaps, t-shirts and various glowing toys or accessories.

Since the fireworks wouldn't start for another half-hour, the quartet investigated the minor attractions of the festival to past the time. Dean was primarily focused on getting Castiel to taste all the food they had, especially funnel cakes with powdered sugar and candied cherry pie filling. Sam seemed to be more open to interacting with Aziza because she was luring him to play the games with her and they were winning tickets at every stand. Once they had enough, they went to the prize booth and Aziza exchanged her tickets for a heart-shaped rainbow slinky and a bumblebee plush. Then, they found Dean and Cas, who'd moved on to Corn Dogs and Monkey Tails, and Aziza presented each man with a prize.

There were announcements that the fireworks were starting, so everyone grabbed a cheese pretzel and followed the crowds to the field. The grassy space looked more like Coachella than a field for a Fireworks show and it seemed as if the entire population of Breckenridge was attending.

 **"Until we find a space and to prevent one of us from getting lost, we're using the buddy system. Everyone, pair up."** Dean announced and since Aziza had reclaimed her place at his leg, he took her hand. They literally took six steps before Dean stopped. **"Buddy check!"** He turned around and lifted a giggling Aziza a few feet off the ground to present her to Sam and Cas.

Castiel mimicked Dean and grabbed Sam's wrist, lifting his arm. **"My assigned buddy is present."**

 **"This isn't right."** Aziza objected and Dean set her down. She took Castiel's free hand and led him to Dean, grabbing the Hunter's hand to intertwine with the Angel's. She then skipped over to Sam and grabbed his hand, smiling up at him before beaming at Dean and Castiel. **"There. That's perfect."**

 **"She is the Soulmate. If anyone knows about perfect matches, it's her."** Sam smirked at his brother and Cas.

Sam, still holding hands with Aziza, proposed they find a spot to lay down their blankets and the pair went off in search of somewhere to settle. Dean and Castiel didn't follow them. Dean was staring down at his and Cas' still intertwined hands and he was partially hiding his blushing face. He didn't do it often, but he knew when it happened. He knew Castiel was watching him too.

 **"Dean, if you're uncomfortable, we don't have to hold hands."** Cas stated, noticing how Dean was a little tense and how the Hunter wasn't looking at him. He knew the nervous traits of Humans and it was a bit surprising to see Dean, who was usually a walking body of confidence, experiencing some anxiety. **"I always keep Sam and now, Aziza in my sights. I can feel your presence, so I always know where you are without looking…though, sometimes, I do just to ensure you're still there."**

Cas hoped that by sharing that last bit of information, he made Dean feel more relaxed. It's been years since he raised Dean from Perdition, but ever since he became a member of Team Free Will, he's been fearing that Dean wouldn't be beside him one day. Hunting was easily one of the most dangerous things a Human could do and there was always doubt in Cas' mind that one day, Dean would not come back from a Hunt. It didn't matter if he could detect the Hunter's Soul just inches away from him, Cas sometimes _had to_ look to make sure that Dean was still there.

Other times...Castiel honestly thought he'd imagined the whole thing, learning how to be Human, meeting the Winchesters, getting Dean out of Hell. It all seemed so surreal some days and he needed to _look_ at Dean to let him know that everything that made their past actually happened. The Hunter was like a reminder to Cas. If Dean was here, he was living in reality.

Dean was still looking down and silent. Cas' words had made his heart flutter a little and he knew he'd starting blushing all over again, so he kept his head down. He took in a calming breath, felt the heat leave his cheeks and picked his head up to look at Castiel. The Angel was patiently waiting for Dean to tell him he was alright or if there was anything he could do to make him comfortable. Dean knew that there were _quite_ a few things that Cas could do to make him comfortable.

 **"Castiel...I wanna use the buddy system for the rest of our lives."** Dean's tone was warmed with honesty and sincerity. Hearing it himself effectively made another burst of red creep up on his cheeks, but he didn't give a damn if his macho-man persona was gone.

Dean realized just how much he's wanted this when he was in the bathroom with Aziza and the curvy cutie wanted his attention. Sure, he looked at what she had to offer and under different circumstances, he would've charmed his way into her pants, but he didn't get that feeling to pursue her. Even when he went to a bar, he hasn't been getting the urge to pickup one-night stands for a while now. At first, he thought it was due to the combination of Gabriel's warning and being around Aziza, but he realized just how long it's been since he picked up some random barfly for one night of passion. It stared long before they were headed to Arizona, but he passed off his lessening sex drive as him getting older and the stress of Hunting.

He was wrong.

It was because he wanted Castiel and it took that brunette, who he lost interest in just as quickly as he found it, and him remembering how protective he's become over a certain blue-eyed being for him to realize it.

He's wanted the raven-haired Angel, who raised him from Hell, for almost a year now and he wanted to share a new kind of bond with him.

Dean was watching an unresponsive Castiel. He wondered if Cas knew what he was proposing, but if the Soulmate was created for Archangels to bond with, then Angels had to know about relationships. He wanted to reverse time and reword his offer by using words he knew Cas would understand, but it was too late now.

As each second ticked on without a reply from the Angel, Dean was feeling a boatload of insecurity being unloaded on him. He shouldn't have said anything, but it seemed like the perfect time. Aziza had set the mood and Sam left them alone; everything within Dean's heart screamed for him to go for it, to try and pursue some happiness in his undeserving life. Now, he wished he would've told his heart to go to Hell because Castiel was probably thinking of a way to reject Dean's affection and the Hunter knew how horrible the Angel was at lying.

The Angel, however, was momentarily stunned by the sound of his name coming from Dean. Aziza usually called him by his full title and he was used to hearing it _from her._ Cas was so accustomed to being called by the cognomen the Hunter had given him that hearing his full title fall from Dean's lips, as rare as it was, had a stimulating effect on him.

Cas was trying to understand what Dean had just asked him and it took him a moment, but after remembering how Aziza had deemed them a correct pair, he figured it out. The Buddy System wasn't just a way to prevent getting lost in a large crowd of people by having someone be your partner. It was being paired with the person you trusted the most and comforting them if they got lost, promising to never leave them.

And there was nothing in this world or the next that could make Castiel leave Dean Winchester's side.

Now, Cas was thinking about the future because Dean wanted to use this system for the rest of their lives. The Angel knew that he would outlive Dean and Sam. That was inevitable because they were Humans who were constantly endangering their lives by hunting the evils of this world and he was a celestial being. He did wonder if Dean would die before his brother or if Sam would, but he didn't want to think about the intolerable amount of anguish and misery he would feel when either of them did die for good.

At that moment, Castiel made an oath to himself. Knowing that Sam and Dean would die one day, he vowed to himself that he would be the one to escort them to their shared Heaven. He knew he was forbidden to return to Heaven for 'betraying' his home by getting too attached to the Winchesters, but he _dared_ an Angel, or even an almighty Archangel, to try to stop him when it was the brothers' time. He wouldn't allow a Reaper to come anywhere near either of the Winchesters' Souls and he would kill one if he had to. He also promised himself that if one brother died before the other, he would stay with the remaining sibling until it was his time, then he'd escort him to Heaven. He doubted that Aziza would die and not be reborn, but if that happened and Gabriel allowed it, he would guide her to Heaven as well.

Once the Winchesters were in Heaven and there was no possibility that they could reverse their deaths, Castiel would not return to Earth.

As much as he liked the planet and all of the peculiar things within it, the world would lose its appeal without Dean and Sam, without _his_ Humans. The Angel would stay in Heaven with them, with his family, if they allowed him to.

Castiel still hasn't said anything and Dean averted his eyes to their intertwined hands again, savoring the feeling for what would probably be the last time. He couldn't imagine how awkward things would be between himself and Cas now, but he hoped they could quickly work through it or just act like things were okay. Dean tried his best to prepare himself to feel the loss of the warm hand in his grasp, but he felt the Angel squeeze his mitt tighter. He looked up at Cas and saw the tenderness in his indescribable blue eyes, watched him begin to smile like this moment was the best thing to ever happen in the millenaries of his lifetime.

That was Cas' answer and Dean heard him loud and clear, no words needed to be said.

Dean let out a chuckle of relief before looking around to see if he'd spot his brother anywhere. After a series of whistles between the brothers, Dean and Cas found the pair. Sam and Aziza had found a spot in the dead center of the field and had a perfect view of the dark sky. It wasn't too far from Dixie and her family either. The two girls were laying their own blanket, sharing Aziza's pretzel, while Dixie's parents and Uncle were a space to their right, then Sam, Dean and Castiel a space to their left.

There was another announcement and then, the fireworks started. Everyone watching the colorful explosions shifted to lay on their backs or stomachs to get a great view. Aziza and Dixie's faces were being coated by the bursts of colors and they were steadily in awe of each firework. Some of the shells even exploded in shapes. Hearts, stars, willows, waterfalls. There were even busts of fish that looked to be swimming across the nighttime sky.

Dean couldn't take his eyes off Castiel and he missed most of the fireworks, but the expression on the Angel's face was worth it. Cas looked astounded. As every burst of color erupted in the night sky, the Angel would watch the firework until it sizzled out, then he'd squeeze his bumblebee plush in anticipation and almost frantically search the sky for the next one. The Angel had felt a sense of nostalgia while watching the fireworks. He thought back to Kokabiel and his beautiful creations of stars, watching his creations with his brothers and sisters. These fireworks weren't nearly as epically stunning, but they hit home for Cas in the saddest, yet most enjoyable way.

After an hour and a half of watching the dazzling fireworks show, the spectacle came to an end. Aziza and Dixie managed to stay awake to watch all of the fireworks, but it was clear to Dean and Dixie's parents that the girls were ready for bed. Dixie's Uncle managed to scoop his niece up without waking her and he left with Dixie's parents. Sam had done the same to Aziza and walked to the Impala with his brother and Cas, getting in the backseat. Barely 10 minutes into the drive home, Sam had drifted off.

Dean, noticing how quiet the Impala was, glanced at Cas first. The Angel was smiling down at his bumblebee plush and Dean knew Cas was happy to have a personal possession, other than his trench coat. It was the Angel's first gift too. Dean smiled, then glanced into the mirror to check on his backseat riders. He chuckled when he saw them. Sam had stretched his abnormally long legs out across the backseat and Aziza was settled on his chest with one of Sam's arms draped across her smaller body to keep her from sliding off.

 **"Cas, steer for me."** Dean requested as he dug into his pocket for his phone. When he got it, he leaned over his seat and he felt Cas' arm pressed against his leg as the Angel grabbed the steering wheel.

 **"This is very reckless, Dean."** The Angel chided.

Dean smirked. **"Reckless is my middle name."**

He aimed his phone at the pair, zoomed out a little bit and waited until they went past a street light before he snapped a picture. Due to the sudden source of light, the picture came out displaying Sam and Aziza's adorably calm sleeping faces and that just melted Dean's heart.

He knew Sam was initially distancing himself from Aziza because he was still getting over her death. His brother had to watch the sweet blonde die in his arms and if that wasn't enough, she sacrificed herself to save Gabriel too. Dean knew, even if Sam didn't tell him, that memories of Jess had to have resurfaced after that night and working through that must've been an emotionally draining experience for his little brother, but it was one of the very few things Dean couldn't help with. He knew that Sam had to work through the motions on his own.

Sitting back down, Dean regained control of the Impala and he still had a smile on his face. He thought back to when Aziza was still a 5-year-old and how she told him that she was going to marry his brother. She'd said it so earnestly too and Dean knew kids didn't lie about things like that. If they truly wanted something, they'd tell someone with all the honesty in the world and Dean was looking forward to the day he'd get to walk the sweetest girl in exsistence down the aisle to marry his little brother.

Dean quietly sniffled, realizing he'd brought tears to his eyes just by thinking about the happiness of Sam and Aziza. He quickly swiped his wrist across his eyes, but a blinking light was going off in his head, reminding him.

 **"Cas, do me a favor?"**

 **"Anything."** Was the Angel's immediate response as if he were waiting for Dean to ask him something.

Dean's grip on the steering wheel tightened, just a little bit, as the submissiveness of that word coming from Castiel sent a shock of lust through him. He cleared his throat and pointed to the unlocked glove-compartment located in front of Cas' knees. **"Uh, reach there and grab that little case. It's a circle with golden stars on it."**

Cas pulled the handle to the car's compartment and rummaged inside, pushing away a small box filled with various disposable cell phones and little notes that Sam and Dean have written, mostly tidbits of lore they kept because they'd always forget. Cas' hand finally touched something circular and he pulled it out, holding it up near his eyes to get a good look at it.

 **"This container is enchanted."** Castiel noted as he examined the music box, turning it in different directions to see every inch of it. **"Did Gabriel give this to you for Aziza?"**

 **"Yeah, said it'll get all her memories and personality back."** Dean answered. **"Crank it a few times, then set it back there."**

As instructed, Castiel located the little knob on the bottom of the music box, turned it and lifted the top to reveal the silver Angel that began to spin when the music started. He reached into the backseat, extending his arm over Sam and Aziza's snoozing forms, and set the tinkling box on the rear parcel shelf near Sam's head. When Cas settled in his seat, his head was turned to listen to the wordless song because it sounded so familiar to him. After another minute of listening, the song's title and lyrics revealed itself to Castiel.

 ** _"When the blackbird in the Spring,  
on the willow tree,_**

 ** _Sat and rocked, I heard him sing,  
singing Aura Lea"_**

Cas hummed out the words in his deep voice, in tune with the music box, making Dean glance at him when he'd started singing.

 ** _"Aura Lea, Aura Lea,  
maid with golden hair,_**

 ** _Sunshine came along with thee  
and swallows in the air"_**

Dean realized why the song sounded so familiar now. Elvis Presley's adaptation of the song was _Love Me Tender_ and he remembered his Dad listening to the song around the time of Mary's birthday or when their anniversary rolled around.

 **"That was really good, Cas. We need to get you signed to Motown."** Dean praised, smiling.

Without a word of warning, Castiel reached over to Dean's side and grabbed the Hunter's free hand, which was settled on his denim-clad thigh and so perilously close to his crotch. Dean's foot slightly pressed down on the gas for a split second, then he relaxed. He curled his fingers around Castiel's hand, but lowered their hands closer to his knee. Just to be safe.

After they established what personal space was and the Angel leaned to take a few steps back, this was the second time Castiel's been intimately close to Dean, the first being unintentional when they were at the Red Rock motel in Arizona and Dean had sat up in bed only to find himself perfectly leveled with Castiel's belt buckle. He wanted to easily undo that leather belt, shove those dress pants down to Castiel's ankles and do such unholy, downright blasphemous, yet amatory and idolatry things to his Angel.

Dean honestly didn't know how much knowledge Cas had on being intimate with someone. He knew there wasn't a Sex Ed class in Heaven, but he remembered that the Angel watched a porno before and got a boner from it, so he had to know a little something because Cas learned from watching. Of course, there was no better way to learn than though one's own experience.

Dean glanced into the mirror to look at his brother and Aziza still snuggled together and fast asleep. He knew Aziza was going to be out for the rest of the night and Sam would likely follow suit, then probably start looking for another case tomorrow. He wanted to know where Cas stood on that intimacy boundary and he had a plan on how to figure it out.

Castiel had asked him about Human hygiene when Sam was turned into a teenager. He wanted to experience showering, but Dean's been stalling because he didn't have faith in his self-control and it was steadily wavering with each innocent touch from Cas. When they got back to the cabin, Dean would ask Cas if he still wanted to learn how to shower like Humans did and they could take things from there.

Maybe Dean would be giving the Angel a lesson in a totally new subject tonight.

* * *

1413 miles away, Gabriel was in Brecksville, Ohio. He was sitting in a gazebo in a park, picking a piece of candy from the pile on the table as he waited. Nayeli told him that she was assigned to make a couple dozen people fall in love today and her route ended here, but Gabriel hasn't seen her yet.

Cupids didn't care for cell phones or any worldly possessions, they'd go without clothes whenever they could, so Gabe couldn't call her and while there was a summoning spell for Cupids, it wasn't down to an exact science. If he performed the spell, the nearest Cupid would be beckoned to him and while Gabriel didn't worry about Cupids going back to Heaven and blabbing that he wasn't dead, he didn't want to start on a new one when he didn't get anything out of Nayeli yet. He felt something with her and he was following his gut because its led him in the right direction in the past. He didn't like the idea of getting stood up though.

Gabriel tapped his phone's screen and saw that it was a little past 10:30. There was no way to know how Aziza would age, if she'd grow within a day or if it'd take weeks or months, but he knew that she never stayed as a baby longer than a day, so she had to be walking and talking by now. He wanted to give Dean and Sam the opportunity to experience her growing up mainly because they had to watch her die for the first time and their wounds would still be fresh. But as soon as they laid eyes on that bubbly little girl with a smile like sunshine, the pain would go away. He wanted the brothers to have that happiness.

Gabriel scrolled though his contacts and he stopped at 'Cassie', but kept scrolling. His finger was now hovering over 'Righteous Man' and he was about to tap the 'Call' button, when Trey Songz's 2 _Reasons_ began chiming, 'Balthy' appearing on the screen. Gabe furrowed his brows. He's been out clubbing with Balthazar more than once, but since the blond Angel was informed on what happened between himself and Lucifer, he's adapted a huge sense of seriousness.

Nowadays, Balthazar called Gabriel to tell him when he was moving to a new area or if he had information on Lucifer and what he was up to. Knowing that, Gabriel quickly answered the phone and the first thing he asked was if Balthazar was okay.

 **SN*SN*SN*SN***

 **"Please...let me go, please."** Nayeli begged, blood dripping down her face.

She was in a dark room, strapped to a stiff chair that was keeping her from escaping or using what little divine abilities she had. She didn't know where she was or who had kidnapped her because it all happened so fast.

Nayeli had just made the last couple on her list meet each other and she watched her new match until she was sure they made a date, then she was on her way to meet Gabriel. He charmed his way into making a date with her to talk about something and since she didn't have to immediately return to Heaven, she asked that he meet her in her favorite gazebo in Brecksville. That gazebo was where she made her first match made in Heaven fall in love and they even got married in the park.

As she was headed to the park, Nayeli was confronted by a pair of Demons and the next thing she knew, she was being dragged to this place and tortured. The source of her continuous agony was the metal headgear with who knows how many metal spikes impaled into her bloodied skull. She couldn't stop trembling, mostly in fear, but also from shock of experiencing pain for the first time. Even the _slightest_ movement, something as trivial as a gust of wind, made it feel like one of those spikes were digging deeper into her brain. Cuts and slashes of all lengths and widths were littering her arms, bare legs, stomach and face. Her feet were pinned to the floor by what felt like nails made from a melted Angel Blade going through each toe. Some kind of abrasive cuffs were fastened around her wrists to keep them on the chair's steely armrests, forearms facing upwards, but they felt like they were burning into her flesh like Holy Fire.

The being who ordered her kidnapping was unaffected by Nayeli's desperate plea for mercy as he walked to the tray holding a variety of instruments of torture. He was as heartless as they came, so perniciously skilled with a knife or in this case, an Angel Blade pilfered from an Angel's carcass. Those feathered monkeys have gone absolutely ballistic since Lucifer's release and some of them were committing Angel-on-Angel murders, giving the Demons the advantage of more numbers.

 **"This is a very simple situation, Nayeli."** Even in the midst of a torture session, the male's voice was beguiling, but it was the scariest thing Nayeli's ever heard. He was calm and confident, his voice nothing more than an accessory to the power he held, an insidious reminder that he could and would do whatever he pleased. He picked up the Angel Blade and lazily twirled it about as he turned to the bound Cupid. **"Tell me what you know about Lucifer's Bride and Michael's Wrath. I know she's somewhere on this planet, so where is she hiding?"**

 **"I've told you already! I don't know what you're talking about!"** Nayeli cried out, desperation coating her words. The man's been asking her that question over and over since she got here and she kept telling him the same thing. She had no reason to lie and she hasn't. Being untruthful certainly wouldn't get her out of her current predicament.

Nayeli heard him sigh and her frightened whimpers were echoing off the walls of the dark room. Her abductor sauntered over to stand in front of Nayeli, making her sporadically flinch as his presence remained. There was no light in his eyes, they were completely barren, void of everything. There was no sympathy or pity or any signs indicating that he was going to just cut her lose or simply end her life. He was, in a word, inhumane.

 **"Until you remember something about the Soulmate, I'm going to keep carving into you like a jack-o-lantern."** He bluntly told her, his cruel words triggering the Cupid's sobs. She began to beg for mercy again, but he ignored her fruitless beseeches. **"I know Cupids aren't built like Angels or Archangels, but Agápios lasted 9 days before he croaked. Maybe you can set a new record.** **"**

For a solitary moment, Nayeli forgot about the pain coursing through every inch of her body when she heard the torturer speak of _that_ Cupid. Agápios. She knew that name and she was sure every Cupid in existence did too. Agápios was one of the few veteran Cupids and rumors speculated that he was made as a gift to God by Aphrodite. After all this time, Agápios was still spreading love to all the Humans on Earth and every Cupid aspired to be like him.

Nayeli was brought back to her reality of a nightmare when she let out a harrowing cry as the Demon slowly dragged the razor-edged blade down the center of her arm, slicing open a major vein of her Vessel to let the crimson blood spill out. If she were Human and that vertical cut was inflicted on her, she would've bled to death in mere minutes. But she wasn't Human. She was a Cupid, one of the weakest, but most amicable creations of Heaven. Cupids caused no harm, their purpose, even while Heaven was primarily focused on Lucifer, was simple: spread love amongst the Humans. And that's what they did with such passion and zeal.

Nayeli continued to scream in the dark, but no one could hear her, nobody knew where she was.

And nobody was coming to save her.

* * *

Please excuse the lateness of this Chapter. Internet's still being an uncooperative bitch, so I went to the library just to freeload off their free WiFi and upload this XD

To my mysterious **Guest** reviewer, thanks for your long Review! So glad you, and everyone else who left a Review, seem to be swooning over Baby!Aziza's cuteness :3

I did remember that Alex and Claire weren't with Jody in Season 5, but I wanted to at least mention them in this story because, in my opinion, Jody is one of the best female characters to ever live on _Supernatural_. She's just as kickass as Ellen was and she was a great mother-figure to Dean and Sam, so I figured they called and visited her often. Them being mentioned was very much intentional.

Aziza has to get back to the right age before Gabe finds out about she and Sam, but trust me, it will be hilarious when he finds out.

 **Demona Evernight,** with Aziza having the ability to be reborn when she dies and, like Gabriel said, Michael and Lucifer fighting over her or with each other in her past lives, Lucifer wouldn't be freaked out at all if he saw her as a baby.

 **kai-baekyun98 and Douttful** , thanks for the encouraging words and a huge thanks to everyone being patient with me as I struggle with my wacky Internet!


	15. You Come Along Because I Love Your Face

Sam and Dean decided today was going to be a workout day since they've been slacking within their time staying at the cabin.

They were up early and Aziza, still a tweenager, was still fast asleep. Upon hearing the brothers using the bathrooms, Castiel ventured out of his bedroom, he was still getting accustomed to having a private space, and traveled into the kitchen to make breakfast for the household. The day Gabriel revealed to the brothers that Aziza was the one, true Soulmate, she taught him how to make buttermilk waffles, bacon and eggs. After that, she informed him of a channel on television that broadcasts programs specifically for improving one's cooking skills and learning new recipes. That same day, Cas discovered a hobby he enjoyed.

Castiel removed his trench coat, draped it across the back of one of the chairs, cuffed his sleeves under his elbows and began rummaging around the kitchen for all the ingredients he'd need to prepare breakfast. When the brothers emerged from the bathrooms, Sam was immediately lured downstairs by the warm smell of something cooking, but Dean peeked into Aziza's room. He found the blonde sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes. And when she saw him, she gave him a sleepy smile.

After Aziza got out of the bathroom, she and Dean went downstairs to join Sam at the kitchen table. Dean watched, with a smile, as Cas easily drifted around the kitchen to prepare breakfast. The first things Cas set on the table were plates holding a pile of thick-cut, maple turkey bacon that was perfectly crispy and cheesy scrambled eggs, then he poured everyone a glass of orange juice. After another few minutes, Cas had a hot stack of buttermilk waffles in one hand, a bowl of diced fruit in the other and a bottle of warm maple and strawberry syrup dangling on his fingers.

Once all the food was placed, Sam, Dean and Aziza simultaneously thanked and praised Cas for making breakfast. The Angel had subtlety blushed, but smiled through his modesty and his grin almost reached either of his ears as he watched his family devour the meal he prepared. He was watching Dean though. If there was one thing in this world Castiel wanted, it was to make Dean Winchester happy because he deserved it and Cas knew one thing that usually made him happy was a good meal.

So when Dean made a waffle sandwich with the bacon and eggs in the middle, drizzled maple syrup on it, topped it off with a few blueberries and let out a groan of approval when he took a bite, smiling with his cheeks stuffed, Castiel felt like all was right in the world.

The brothers were mindful not to eat _too_ much and everyone helped cleanup, then Sam and Dean headed into the backyard while Aziza dragged Cas into the living room to watch _Lilo & Stitch._ Per Sam's request, the brothers started out with a run through the forest they had for a backyard. They jogged a little past their campsite, jumping over moss-coated logs like hurdles, before turning around and doing 3 more laps, much to Dean's disliking because he _hated_ running laps, unlike Sam who'd usually get up at 5 AM to go for a run.

After catching their breaths, Dean declared that he was picking the next exercise and Sam wasn't surprised when his brother wanted to spar, which was Sam's least favorite. The one thing Sam did enjoy about sparring with his brother was that Dean always threw in some intelligence training too, drilling him on monsters and lore. Sam would be trying to counter a series of combination punches and Dean would casually ask him the origin of a monster or while Sam was trying to get out of a headlock, Dean would ask why someone would summon the Baku. It was times like these that Sam couldn't understand how Dean could think that he wasn't smart.

They took another break and Dean went inside the cabin to grab some waters and check on his Angel and Aziza. As soon as he stepped into the living room, a little blue monster was swiftly climbing him like a tree. Stitch sat on Dean's head and leaned over to look into the Hunter's eyes as he strangely smiled, showing all of his gums holding triangle-shaped teeth, saying 'Hiii'. Aziza called the blue alien from upstairs and Stitch kissed Dean on the nose before he went into the kitchen, coming out with a can of soda, then climbed the walls to get to her room.

The bad part was that Dean wasn't freaked out in the slightest bit.

He grabbed some bottled waters from the kitchen, returned the backyard and after he and his brother were hydrated, they got back to exercising. A half-hour later, Dean was looking down at his brother in disbelief. He just got finished using Sam as a weight as he did push-ups and now, Sam was doing the same thing. Dean was sitting crossed-legged on Sam's sweaty back, rising and falling with Sam's push-ups. Sam's chin would almost touch the ground before he'd easily push himself up and Dean couldn't believe this was happening.

 **"I am 220-odd pounds of Human beef and you've been lifting me like I'm a box."** Dean carped and he felt Sam's chuckles under him. **"How are you doing this?"**

 **"I'm Batman."** Sam said in a deep, gravelly voice.

Sam completed a few more push-ups, playfully bantering with Dean, before he spotted Castiel near the sliding door waiting to be noticed. With a smile, he pushed himself up until he was almost squatting, then swiftly stood, effectively making Dean tumble off his back with a yelp.

 **"Aziza's returned to her adolescent age."** Cas reported with a smile as he watched Sam help Dean to his feet. After they played with the alien Stitch, she took a nap, he played her music box and when she woke up, she was a teenager again.

 ** _"Gabriel, I know you can hear me! Get in here now!"_** They heard Aziza yell from somewhere in the living room.

 **"And she's upset."** Cas added.

Dean and Sam glanced at each other, remembering why Aziza had to grow up again. Clearly, she remembered what happened with Lucifer and knowing what they knew about her now, they were a little nervous about what her emotions could result with. Still, they sucked it up and entered the cabin with Cas in tow. They saw Aziza restlessly pacing, just like she was back in Tucson, but her expression of annoyance accompanied by an angry flush told them not to interfere just yet. Physically speaking, she looked just fine. Her eyes were still beautifully azure, she was the correct height, the blonde hues of her hair were perfectly blended and she was wearing pink pajama pants with Dean's AC/DC shirt.

Aziza looked exactly like the same sweethearted blonde that had them wrapped around her finger, not a single detail altered, though Dean couldn't help but see her as that adorable little kid who was headbanging to _Back In Black_ in the backseat of his Impala.

The sound of someone clapping made Aziza stop making a rut in the floor and all eyes looked up to the balcony on top of the kitchen. Gabriel was leaning on the banister and he was still clapping, a smirk on his face.

 **"Wow, I am truly impressed."** He shook his head, almost unbelieving that Aziza was back to her appropriate age. Within the blink of an eye, he was sitting on the sofa in front of Aziza. **"You actually made it back to this age without dying again. And you were being raised by _Winchesters_." ** He threw a look over his shoulders to the brothers.

 **"How can you be so lighthearted about this?!"** Aziza fiercely snapped, making Gabriel's head whip around to her.

It was a _very_ _rare_ occurrence that Aziza got angry. Sure, she got irked like anyone else, but seeing her truly angered was not a frequent sight because she was a gentle, peaceful girl. On the few accounts that she did, Gabe could easily spot her signs. Her fists would be tightly balled at her sides, sometimes shaking, and her eyes would harden, but they didn't completely lose their comforting warmth. Her brows would be firmly knitted together and if she was sitting, her leg would be restlessly shaking. If she was standing, she'd be pacing around like a bunny that's drank one too many Red Bulls. Gabriel checked off just about every trait of Aziza being angry and he could only hope that he could calm her down before she brewed another thunderstorm or hurricane.

 **"Lucifer almost _killed you_ , Gabriel!" **Aziza reminded him, continuing her solicitous ranting. **"That's your big brother and he almost _murdered_ _you_! He's supposed to protect you from everything and help you through hard stuff and always have your back, not be the one who's stabbing you in the throat! "**

 **"Zi-Zi, go to your place."** Gabriel tried in his most soothing voice, slowly getting to his feet.

 **"They're gonna destroy everything!"** She protested and Gabriel's spine went totally straight when Aziza let out a little sob. Instantly, his heart shattered into billions of pieces when she began crying. Sam and Dean, silently watching with Cas, turned to glance out of the sliding door when they heard the pitter-patter of raindrops against the glass. A boom of thunder made them slightly jump and they turned back to Aziza, who looked more angrily concerned as she pinned Gabriel with her glossy-eyed stare. **"If I go with Michael, the world's gonna end! If I go with Lucifer, the world's gonna suffer first, _then_ it's gonna end! There's millions of innocent people living on this planet and neither of them seem to care about any of them! Earth isn't their home, it's just a battlefield for them! They have no right to destroy my family like this!"**

Aziza had thrown her hands this way and that to express what little options she had and the choice she would eventually be forced to make. Each motion triggered another raucous clash of thunder that was fiercer than the last and outside, the winds had picked up in the way they did to signal that a tornado was brewing.

And then, came the all too familiar rumbling that could only signal when Aziza was falling, incredibly pissed off...or when she was about to tear the roof off the place.

Dean carefully stepped closer to the blonde. **"Zia, you gotta calm down."**

 **"This isn't fair! I don't have a say in any of this!"** She wailed, ignoring Dean's gentle words as tears relentlessly spilled down her cheeks. She began to shake with the force of her cries and Dean wanted nothing more than to give her a hug, but he feared he'd suffer the same fate Castiel did the day she died, when he was electrocuted and thrown across the room for touching Aziza while she was so emotional. **"If I don't bond with one of them, the world ends! If I do, the world ends! If I sit on the sidelines, Lucifer and Michael are still gonna fight and the world's gonna be destroyed! Whatever I do, the world's gonna end and it'll be _my fault_! I don't wanna be part of this! I never asked to be the stupid Soulmate!"**

Gabriel managed to see that gleam shine over her blue eyes like a final warning for what was to come if nobody intervened. He knew that she was getting too worked up and everyone in the room knew what that would lead to. Gabriel was not going to let it happen again, not so soon after she came back. It wasn't going to happen ever again.

 **"Aziza!"** The blonde flinched, not because she was scared, but because she was surprised. She wasn't used to Gabriel raising his voice like he just did and it was out of character for Gabriel to do such a thing, but he had to get her attention. Aziza was trying to steady her quivering breaths as he came to stand in front of her, timidly setting his hands on her shoulders. Just like Cas, Gabriel's gotten shocked once or twice when he touched her while she was so worked up. Even being an Archangel, it felt like he just grabbed a live wire and he had a twitch for an hour afterwards. Gabe quietly sighed in relief when he wasn't shocked. **"You're making the Rolling Stones a little nervous."**

Gabriel nodded to the window behind her where Zur, Panos and Eben had huddled together to observe what was going on inside. Right now, the trio of Rock Guardians were displaying a dull Yellow through the cracks in their forms. Just like the day Dean and Sam came to the cabin, Yellow meant that they were cautious, but when Aziza turned her head to look at them, Blue streaks sprouted within the Yellow because they could see her crying. Of the siblings, Zur was portraying the most Blue.

 **"I know you're upset and I know you're scared, but I'm still here."** Gabriel words were gentle, a lullaby that could soothe the most incensed of beasts, as Aziza turned to face him. Tears were still gliding down her cheeks and Gabe wiped some of them away with his thumb, but more spilled. Against his aching heart, he warmly smiled at her. **"You don't need to worry about me, cutie pie. I'm not going anywhere."**

Little whimpers of complete helplessness came from Aziza, still shaking. She didn't know if it was due to the fear of what could happen to her little family in the future or because of the sadness she felt towards the entire world being caught in the crossfire of an age-old family feud. All the bloodshed and destruction, it was cripplingly depressing just to think about.

Gabriel pulled Aziza into his chest and tightly wrapped his arms around her as he stroked her hair. And Aziza cried her heart out into his shirt. Gabriel's learned that this girl, being so full of divine power, was as delicate as a daisy, but thinking about how she was involuntarily involved with the Apocalypse would always make her burst out in tears. She hated all of the pain and suffering and death that would surely come from Michael and Lucifer's fight. She also felt like she was alone in this battle, that nobody could help her. And Gabriel knew that.

He hated that she felt lonely and he despised the thought of her believing he'd just up and abandon her. He'd do anything to get that toxic idea out of her head for good. Gabriel literally _could not_ leave Aziza and nothing in this world or the next could keep him separated from her for long. Even after his Father dropped her off at his doorstep, Gabriel knew he was going to be watching over a little blue-eyed girl for the rest of her life because he was instantly attached. He knew how it felt to be abandoned by someone who was supposed to love you unconditionally too and he managed to gain Castiel's forgiveness, but he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he walked out on Aziza like she didn't mean the world to him.

Gabriel would always be there to hold her hand and he'd super-glue their palms together just to prove that he'd never abandon her.

 **"Go to your retreat and calm down, okay?"** Gabriel whispered his request in her hair and Aziza hiccuped, then she detached from him, nodding.

She still had a bit of a tremble to her, but she headed for the backyard to do as he advised. After a few moments, all the men watched as the gloomy weather began to ease away until the rain and quakes stopped. There were white clouds calmly puffed in the sky and a breeze blew by very so often.

 **"That was…intense."** Sam broke the silence.

When he didn't hear a sassy remark from Gabriel, he turned around and found that the Archangel was missing. Before anyone could think that Gabe up and left, he reappeared with a wooden barrel next to him and tumblers in his hand. He gave each man a glass, sat in the armchair and perched his tumbler under the faucet handle to pour himself a glass of bourbon that's been aging for 12 years.

Gabriel waved the men over to sit down and have a drink. Dean filled everyone's cup, but Sam and Cas were the only ones to take a sip.

 **"She almost tore this place in half. What gives?"** He questioned the Archangel as he kicked back the brown liquid in his glass, then got a refill.

 **"She's basically a walking powerhouse containing unimaginable divine power and she could rip your Soul from your body in a second, but you're wondering why she can shake a house?"** Gabriel countered, squinting his eyes at Dean with his brows raised.

 **"I mean, she said this place was warded against every supernatural being you knew about and I thought that meant she couldn't rip the goddamn roof off like she did before."** Dean elucidated, but Gabriel didn't loose the look on his face that portrayed he thought the answer was obvious and that Dean was a moron. The elder Hunter had to refrain from sticking his tongue out like a child.

 **"Considering I don't know _what_ she is exactly, I can't ward anything _against_ her." ** Gabe answered as he swirled his drink in his glass. All he knew was that Aziza was something divine, no more and no less. He also knew that he's never seen anything else like her, so she was truly one of a kind.

 **"You told her to go somewhere."** Sam noted. **"Her place? Is that Zeallegon?"**

Gabriel shook his head in response, then held his finger up to silently tell Sam to wait while he downed his glass of bourbon and smacked his lips. Then, re-refilled his glass while Dean's eyes were in danger of rolling out of his head and Sam quietly scoffed. It was literally going to take that entire barrel for Gabriel to get drunk, but he was going for that warm, buzzed state and he'd reach it at the halfway point of that barrel.

 **"She started copying me when I'd play tricks on people. She can animate just about any inanimate object and she created a place called Zeallegon all by herself."** Gabriel began. The brothers knew of Zeallegon by name, but Castiel was the only one who's ever been to the place. Aziza slept with a golden key under her pillow and said key could turn any door into the entrance to her fantasy land. While she was a child, she told him that she never took that key out of the cabin for fear of losing it and someone discovering her little world and the mythical beings there escaping to Earth. **"She made another world that she goes to when she needs to calm down, her retreat. I think it's in her mind or maybe it's a memory."**

Sam's brows pulled together in bemusement. **"You don't know where she goes?"**

Gabriel shook his head. **"She tried to show it to me before, but I couldn't go with her. Guess she didn't get all the kinks out."**

Gabriel didn't think twice about why he couldn't visit Aziza's retreat because he knew how meticulous one had to be when creating a little world. She's had that calming place since she was a child, so he figured that she didn't make it a place anyone could go to, just her. She'd sometimes stay there for a couple days, but Gabe never worried because her bracelet would still be telling him that she was alive and well. After the emotional outburst she had today, he wouldn't be surprised if she didn't come back for another day or two.

Gabriel announced that he was staying at the cabin for a few hours, to see if Aziza would return, then he updated the men on Lucifer. Aziza's power kept Lucifer stationed in New Zealand for a bit, but early this morning, the Fallen Archangel made his way back to the States. Balthazar and Kali were on the lookout, so it was only a matter of time before one of them got Lucifer's location.

 **SN*SN*SN*SN***

When Aziza left the cabin, she started walking through the forest until she found the spot she, the Winchesters and Castiel used as a campsite. She sat down on one of the flat rocks and closed her eyes, concentrating on the warm sunlight and the place she so desperately needed to go to. She tried as hard as she could to think relaxing thoughts and she managed to get her breathing under control.

When Aziza opened her eyes, she was no longer in Colorado.

She wasn't even on Earth anynore.

Aziza was currently standing in a field of tall dandelions, some still yellow while others aged to Wish Flowers who's seeds with fluffy attachments were ready to be blown away, that seemed to span indefinitely. The sun was stuck in some sort of hybrid between sunrise and sunset, coating this paradise in tantalizing shades of oranges, pinks, yellows and reds. Off in the distance, a great Japanese Wisteria tree in full blossom filled the space of an entire acre and its feather-like, rosy-pink leaves were gracefully dancing with the gentle breeze, swaying to their own songs.

Aziza began walking towards that giant Wisteria tree and she already felt an ounce better than she did before because that tree was one of the most beautiful things she's ever seen in her life. When she was under the tree, she saw the single swing attached to the high branches and went to sit on it. That was when she noticed her clothes changed. She was wearing a white dress, not the one she was customarily clothed in when she was revived, but a simple sundress with gladiator sandals. This was the outfit that she usually wore here.

Aziza started to gently push herself on the swing, watching the colored leaves of the Wisteria tree gracefully flutter to the ground. She tried to be calmed by the serenity of this place, tried to let the scenery and peacefulness ease her mind, but it didn't. Her thoughts were assaulted with seeing Lucifer standing over a beaten Gabriel, a second away from murdering his brother. Tears filled her eyes as she remembered Gabriel's final message to her, how he sounded like he was prepared to die. She was so afraid that she wasn't going to get to Gabriel in time to save him and even when she did, she feared that Lucifer would've killed his brother anyway and them kidnapped her. Then, she thought about this godforsaken apocalypse lurking in the future and how nothing could prevent it, how she had the power to do something at the sacrifice of humanity and the entire planet.

 _'Stop being such a baby. Be tough like Dean.'_ She told herself in an attempt to suck it up and be brave like the eldest Winchester brother.

Aziza idolized Dean almost more than she did Gabriel. Dean Winchester was a walking badass with a killer smile and he was fearless Hunter, nothing could scare him. She wanted to be as courageous as he and Sam were, but it seemed as though no matter how hard she tried, she just wasn't that kind of person; her tears proved that. She was a soft, dovish girl who wanted nothing more than to see peace on Earth and she could never stop herself from crying when she started. She had to shed every tear in her body before she stopped and she hated that because it made her feel more helpless than she already was. She couldn't even defend herself from monsters.

Aziza put her head in her hands as she continued to cry. She didn't notice the figure walking towards her.

The man looked to be in his mid to late-20s and he had short dark-brown hair that was neatly combed. He was 5'11 and his muscular build could be seen due to his gray t-shirt and fitting jeans. He had many names, but in this form, he was deemed Misha.

 **"Aziza, you're back."** He was smiling as he warmly greeted Aziza, his pear-green eyes glimmering in delight. Aziza's hands fell from her face. When he saw the tears staining her cheeks, his dark brows creased together in concern. He took the spot before her and dropped to a knee, one hand going to cup her cheek to wipe away a tear with his thumb. **"What's wrong? Why are you crying?"**

Unlike on Earth, Aziza's emotions didn't affect the weather in her retreat. When she cried, it usually started raining and the skies would look so depressingly gloomy. However, it was constantly sunny and serene in this retreat, no grey clouds or angry lightning or hailstorms. Simply a blissful scenery that an artist would give their life to paint.

 **"Because Lucifer almost killed Gabriel and even after everything, he still loves him."** Aziza told him, more tears running down her cheeks at her admission. **"I saved him, but still…until Sam, Dean and Castiel came along, all I had was Gabe. Now, the family's a little bigger and I'm cherishing that, but…"**

 **"What is it?"**

 **"If Sam and Dean die, they're not gonna stay dead. Michael or Lucifer's gonna resurrect them if they die, but I'm still afraid to lose them because of this fight. Cas and Gabe are Angels, so they're gonna be around for a while, but Lucifer might kill them if it means getting to me and..."** Aziza stopped then, the lump in her throat almost strangling her. She'd started to tremble again with how much effort she was using _not_ to cry. **"I just…I don't want anybody to die because of me."**

As much as she tried to promote peace and happiness, Aziza felt incredibly alone. She never had a mother and father, no brothers or sisters or even a distant cousin. She was born alone and sometimes, Aziza figured that she was destined to be alone for the rest of her existence. Having Gabriel in her life was a sacred privilege, but he could leave whenever he wanted. Sometimes when he was searching for Cupids and wouldn't come home for days, Aziza would start to think that he wasn't ever going to come back because he was sick of having her as a burden on his back. Sam, Dean and Castiel had the same option to walk out on her too. They could decide that she was too much to handle and opt out at any time because they had that right. They didn't owe her anything and the only thing keeping them with her was their promise, but they could leave whenever they wanted.

Aziza's worst fear was being alone, especially after she found a family. Every day, she feared that the people who were protecting her and trying to stop the Apocalypse were just going to abandon her because she was a burden. At night, she made a habit of peeking in on the Winchester brothers when they were sleeping just to make sure they were still there and since Gabriel didn't sleep, she'd call him just to hear his voice.

Aziza sniffled, but Misha remained silent. He was fixed on the names she just said. Dean and Sam Winchester, the descendants of Cain and Abel and destined true Vessels of Michael and Lucifer. Misha didn't know that Aziza had encountered the Winchesters, but it seemed that they were all very close considering she said they were family. He wondered how long the brothers were with her and where they were hiding on Earth, but he kept his questions to himself until he could make Aziza feel better.

Misha looked at Aziza and his heart shattered when he could see her shaking. He hated seeing her cry and it was such a painful sight for him. She usually came here when she got angry and he would calm her down in a few minutes, then once she was smiling again, she'd spend time with him. He's noticed that her visits have drastically lessened and he figured one reason was the Winchesters. The other reason had to be her recent death, no doubt due to her saving Gabriel from being killed.

 _ **"We all need a hug in the morning  
and one at the end of the day**_

 _ **And as many as possible squeezed in between  
to keep life's troubles at bay  
**_  
 _ **No matter wherever you ramble,  
your problems be great or be small,**_

 _ **It is my belief that for instant relief,**_  
 _ **a hug is the best cure of all"**_

Aziza looked to her companion with glossed eyes and a trembling lip, a trickle of tears escaping. Misha wiped the tears from her cheeks and smiled at her in hopes that he could alleviate her sadness with the song and his presence. He's been singing that sweet song to her for as long as he could remember and it always made her feel better.

 ** _"_** ** _And when Adam was cast from the Garden  
and feeling that life was unfair _**

**_His temper was starting to harden  
when Eve said 'I've nothing to wear'_**

 ** _But God in His mercy looked kindly  
He gave His wide shoulders a shrug_**

 ** _'I'll give humankind a small piece of my mind'  
_** ** _And so, He created the hug_** ** _"_**

Misha guided Aziza to slide off the wooden swing and sit in the grass with him, then he pulled her in for a tight hug. Her arms wrapped around him almost desperately, as if he was the anchor keeping her from slipping away. He pet her hair and slightly rocked her as he felt her stray tears on his shirt. He knew she had to get it all out before she felt better and he was prepared to hold her close until she did.

Even though the warm rays of sunlight were bright and streaming down on this undersized Heaven, that Misha punctiliously built scintilla by scintilla to be a perfect haven for Aziza, he quietly sighed, his thoughts weighing heavily in his mind.

Aziza seemed to hold a new hatred towards Lucifer and that was good. The last thing anyone needed was for her to bond with him because Earth and the Human race wouldn't be the worst things to be destroyed. No, things could go on without either and both could easily be replaced.

If Aziza bonded with Lucifer, Heaven would be in calamitous trouble that no one could repair. Misha feared that the damage would even be out of God's control.

Lucifer would tear down the paradise's gilded gates and encase all of Heaven's purity in fire. And what he would do to the Angels was spine-chilling. Misha could horrendously imagine Lucifer literally _tearing_ the wings out of an Angels back and throwing them out of Heaven, making them fall just as he had, and burn in Hell. What the Demons would do to an Angel so defenseless and bare in their domain was antagonizing to think about.

Misha knew that due to Lucifer's influence, Aziza would become murderous, bloodthirsty. No longer would she care so passionately about saving life. She'd want to end countless lives, destroy anything that got in her way…just like the Darkness. She wouldn't even look the same.

Right now, Misha forced himself not to think of all the horrible things that would happen if Aziza and Lucifer bonded. His main concern was calming Aziza and making sure that she knew that he was always here for her, that this retreat he made for her decades ago would always be a safe place. While she was here, he would try to convince her to strengthen the hate she held towards Lucifer and the Apocalypse would happen, but the Morning Star would be no more.

If all of humanity and Earth had to be sacrifices in exchange for Lucifer's death, then Misha was willing to do everything in his power to make it so.

* * *

Misha:  
Russian name meaning: 'Who is like God?'  
It is also a hypocoristic of Michael

* * *

Hey, peeps. Finally got to upload another chapter. I was without Internet access for almost 2 weeks! When I checked my email, I saw so many Favs/Follows and I was so sad that I couldn't update this story. There won't be anymore long delays. My wifi situation has been fixed :3

I hope you enjoyed this long overdue chapter (and the Eclipse that happened on Monday) and I'll be posting another one soon to make up for lost time.


	16. There Must Be A Higher Love

Thought I uploaded this earlier, but apparently not. O.o

* * *

Aziza stayed in her relaxing getaway for two days. With her gone, Gabriel was popping in almost every other hour to see if she'd come back, but she never did.

For those 48 hours Aziza was away, Misha was trying to convince her that Lucifer was evil and toxic to anything he touched. He tried to insert some fear into Aziza because if she truly feared something, she'd want it gone and she'd play her part in the Apocalypse by bonding with the first Archangel. Misha was trying to replicate the history of the Soulmate, but instead of locking Lucifer in the Cage, he was trying to get Aziza to understand that the only solution was for the Fallen Archangel to be slain.

Misha wasn't constantly badgering Aziza about Lucifer though. He knew that the longer they talked about it, the longer she'd be upset and she'd leave more troubled than when she arrived and he didn't want that. If she came to him, to this peaceful scene, it was his job to ensure that she was feeling 10 times as better than she did when she arrived.

While Aziza was with him, they talked about everything, just like a pair of best friends would. Misha asked the most questions because he knew that she died not too long ago and wanted to know what this Aziza was like, not that she was different in any of her past lives. The blonde was happily chattering a mile a minute about the notorious Dean and Sam Winchester and Castiel, how they were the best things to ever come into her life since Gabriel. She told Misha everything about the trio, from the minute she met them in Arizona to the day she met Lucifer and died. Misha listened to every word she said and encouraged her to get closer to Dean, to spend more time with him.

After that, Misha tried to be as discreet as possible when he began asking Aziza about her location. He didn't outright ask where she was. Instead, he asked about the things in the State she was in, her favorite places and such. She told him too. She recalled Tom's Diner, the ice-skating rink and the ice cream parlor, but the information wasn't distinct enough to track her on. There were tons of States with tiny, hidden towns on Earth with diners and skating rinks and ice cream parlors. Starting a search for her on that information would take too much time and Misha's agenda was booked to the last second.

When Misha was confident that Aziza wasn't sad anymore and that she was calmed enough, he sent her on her way. Like he did every time she left, he told her that he would always be here waiting for her whenever she needed him and that he would do anything for her. When he said that, he held such familiarity in Aziza's eyes. Misha had reminded her of Dean for some reason; he seemed like a protective big brother in that moment.

When Aziza returned to Colorado, it took her a minute to start the walk to the cabin. Panos was the closest and sensed her return, so he patiently waited with her. He even shrunk down to a smaller size as he posted himself beside her.

It felt like Aziza just woke up from the most peaceful dream anyone could hope for and was cruelly thrown back into reality. All her troubles and woes seemed to be dumped on her and she was reminded of everything, of her purpose in life. God had created her for the sole purpose of aiding one of his sons in the Apocalypse. He created her to be a weapon to be used one by his sons to kill the other, then destroy the Earth, the Human race and everything else that was beautiful and lovely about this planet.

If Aziza ever met God, she was sure she'd kick Him in the eye for being such a prick for forcing this horrid destiny upon her without a care towards her feelings or free will. That wasn't fair to her at all. She never asked to be created or to be divine or for Archangels to be on the search for her and she sure as hell didn't want to die, then come back to life over and over again. It was unnatural and depressing. She also felt a hatred towards Him for what His sons were plotting to do, how He seemed to be perfectly fine with them murdering each other as if they were strangers and not brothers. She thought the almighty God was merciful and had the biggest heart, but due to His lack of intervening, He seemed to be cold-blooded and uncaring, unsympathetic to His so-called 'favorite creations'.

Aziza took another moment and willed herself to be strong, tightly shutting her eyes to prevent the tears from escaping. She was not going to cry, she didn't want to. She wanted to be brave.

It seemed as though Dean, Sam and Castiel didn't move an inch from the spots they were in when Aziza left because they were all still in the living room, waiting. The barrel of alcohol Gabriel brought was still in it's same spot, but it was half-empty due to Gabriel's constant drinking and each men had half of a glass. Castiel was the first to stand up from his seat on the couch next to Dean when he felt Aziza's unique sensation, then the brothers when the blonde entered through the sliding door.

They were all happy to see her, Sam most of all. He actually felt a kind of sick feeling while she was away, like he was becoming ill without having her nearby. Aziza had given Cas the first hug because he was closest, then Dean and finally Sam. The Angel probably didn't notice, but the brothers detected how Aziza's greeting hug was nothing like the ones she's given them before. She barely wrapped her arms around their stomachs and she simply pressed into their chests. That was not the warm embrace they were used to and the boys shared a look, both of them understanding that Aziza must've still been a bit upset.

Aziza called Gabriel and when he arrived, they had a half-hour long hug session that made her feel a bit better. Gabriel didn't tell her that Lucifer was drifting around the States again. He didn't want her to think about either of his brothers or destinies or any of that because he knew it'd make her upset and he just wanted to give her time to breathe since she just matured to the right age.

Gabriel spent the rest of that day with Aziza, trying to make her smile. It was usually the easiest task for him because he knew what could get her to laugh so hard that her gut would ache, but it was different that day. The best Gabe could get out of his favorite blonde was a smirk and even then, he knew she was practically forcing it. He tried something else that she liked: spells. More specifically, conjuring Unicorns or Pegasuses because he knew she was a sucker for them. To top it off, Gabe put his neck on the chopping board when he joked about her turning him into a goldfish just for kicks, but Aziza didn't want to do that either.

Aziza told her treasured Archangel that she was happy that they were spending time together, but that she needed some time alone. Gabe didn't question her or ask any questions. He accepted her request for solitude and Aziza went upstairs without another word.

She didn't come out of her room for the rest of the night and if she did, none of the men in the cabin heard or saw her.

Gabriel knew what Aziza was going through because she's done it before, in some of her previous lives. She locked herself away to wrestle with her thoughts. She was thinking about Michael and Lucifer, about the future and what she could do about it; what the result would be if she sided with either of her Soulmates. She was thinking of every possible scenario and how she could try to do something to make the outcome of Michael and Lucifer's fight end with the world still in one piece and keeping humanity from the brink of extinction. She had to be in her room crying again too, that delicate Daisy of a girl.

Balthazar phoned Gabriel with information on Lucifer's whereabouts and before he left with Cas, Gabe advised the brothers to give Aziza as much space as possible and not to push her to talk to them, that she'd come around once she straightened things out as best she could.

* * *

Sam had just come out of the bathroom after taking a shower, towel-drying his hair. He stopped in the hallway when he saw Dean walking down the corridor with a serving tray balanced on his hand. It was almost 9 PM and since Cas hasn't returned, Dean took it upon himself to be in charge of cooking. He made Crunchy Taco Hamburger Helper and Caesar salad with garlic bread-rolls for dinner tonight. Sam watched his brother set the tray in front of Aziza's door and knocked twice. Dean waited for a minute, but the door didn't open. Sam barely heard his brother's quiet sigh, then Dean met his eyes. Sam gave him an apologetic look and Dean nodded.

The brothers have been taking turns delivering meals to Aziza because they were worried that she wasn't eating. She still hasn't come out of her room, but she'd take whatever they left at her door, so they knew she was still alive in there. Sam's caught himself standing in front of her bedroom door and trying to convince himself _not to_ barge in there and wrap her in his arms until she felt better. If she cried, he would hold her and stroke her soft hair until she let it all out. He wanted nothing more than to take her sadness away because he felt like she shouldn't ever be sad. She was too sweet and had too big of a heart for sadness to come and dispirit her like it did. It was almost offensive.

Sam made a stop in his room to stuff his dirty clothes in a red laundry bag and noticed how full the sack was. He made a mental note that a trip to the laundromat should be made in the near future because he hasn't found a laundry room anywhere in the cabin and he was sure Dean had dirty clothes too. Coming out of his room, Sam lingered in the hallway again, looking at Aziza's bedroom door. He noticed that she retrieved her dinner because the serving tray was gone, but he stayed in the hallway for another minute to see if she'd come out to go to the bathroom or set the tray in the hallway.

Once a full minute passed with no sound or indications that she was coming out, Sam reluctantly traveled downstairs. He went into the kitchen and Dean was in there at the counter. He heard Sam come in and he picked up one of the three plates he was preparing and passed it off to his brother. Dean covered another plate with plastic wrap and pulled a marker out of the drawer. By some coincidence, it was a blue marker and Dean wrote 'Cas' on the plastic before setting it in the fridge, then sitting down with Sam.

The brothers ate dinner and Sam made sure to tell Dean how much he enjoyed the meal because he knew how grateful his brother was to have their own kitchen, being able to cook in it and not settling for mediocre store-brand food. Every time they went grocery shopping with Aziza, they had to remind themselves that they didn't have to be frugal anymore, though they never were extravagant when it came to shopping. No longer did they have to settle for the cheapest brands or boxed meals that hardly nourished them through their childhoods. They could get the foods they've always wanted to try or seldom had when John had dropped them off at Bobby's while he was off on a Hunt.

Usually, Sam and Dean would have their own cart and go shopping for whatever they wanted while Aziza and Cas were off shopping in the organic section for farm-fresh produce. Dean would always want the meatiest foods while Sam favored things that were high in carbs and fruits. The foursome would always meet up in the snack aisle and would usually need another cart solely for their munchies. Cas would have a little box of Tiramisu cupcakes for himself and Aziza would have a boxed pie or two for Dean because he and Sam, no matter how many times they asked for directions or followed the warm scent of cinnamon-raisin bread, could never find the bakery section. When they got to the checkout lane, Aziza and Sam would look for packs of beef jerky and pick their favorite or a new flavor to try on the ride home. Once they got there and put the groceries away, Aziza would always make Dean fresh pie and she stopped asking which flavor he wanted because she always guessed what he was craving.

Both Dean and Sam wanted Aziza to be the ray of sunshine she usually was. They were actually heeding Gabriel's words about letting her have some time to herself, but they were both itching to do something, _anything_ , to make her happy again.

Sam offered to clean their plates and when he finished, Dean said he'd start looking for a case. He was also going to watch the Weather Channel to look for major temperature drops to see if he could get a location on Lucifer, but he didn't tell Sam that. He was perfectly fine being the barrier between his Sammy and anything that had to do with the Devil. He didn't even want Sam to go on another Demon hunt, but he knew he couldn't convince his brother to sit one out.

Sam made his way into the library and it was still a disordered mess, but he and Cas have started a filing system. The ultimate plan was to categorize all the books by their origins, then into subcategories depending on their contents. Right now, everything was still a mess, but Cas and Sam have been taking turns with continuing a list of all the books and getting them into stacks in attempt to have some sort of basic catalog.

Sam maneuvered around the hordes of tomes and to the starter section of books that were written by Gabriel. Thanks to the Enochian-to-English translation guide that Cas made, Sam could become more proficient in the Language of Angels. He really wanted to decode Gabriel's books because he had a feeling that one of them had more information on Aziza or maybe her past with her Soulmates. If not, he was hoping to find something about Lucifer. Since Gabriel was the third Archangel and Lucifer the second, Sam reasoned that the two were close. Maybe something in their history could help Sam to better understand the Archangel that was destined to wear his skin.

Sam grabbed two books from Gabriel's handwritten pile, one an asparagus-green hardback with the other being carnelian-red that felt like the covers were made of hemp fabric, then traveled to the desk to grab the translation guide from out of the drawer. He would usually stay tucked away in this library for hours and sometimes fall asleep on the desk, but he wanted to read in his room tonight. A smile tugged at his lips when he thought about his own room. To this day, he and Dean were still grateful to have their own private spaces.

Sam climbed the stairs and stepped into the living room to see if his brother or Cas was were inhabiting the common room, but it was clear of dwellers and the kitchen light was off, so nobody was in there either. He went upstairs and checked on his brother next, but Dean wasn't in his bedroom. Walking to the nearest bathroom door, Sam heard the shower running and smelled masculine body wash escaping the crack at the bottom of the door, so his brother was in there. He glanced at Aziza's bedroom door and it didn't look like she came out recently.

Finally going into his room, Sam was preoccupied with the first page of the hardcover book and he already recognized some of the Enochian words without the aid of the translation guide. Even though the angelic language wasn't as pretty or elegant as cursive, he'll admit that Gabriel's penmanship made the divine being's native tongue look very graceful. To ensure he wouldn't walk into his bed-frame like he's done before, Sam glanced up to plot a course to his bed, but he froze when he saw that he wasn't alone.

Aziza was sitting on the edge of his bed, on the right side where he usually slept. She must've been ready for bed because her blonde hair was up in a messy bun, the kind that girls would kill for, and she was wearing a nightgown. He and Dean have seen her in her girly nightclothes before and what she was wearing tonight was normal. She hasn't noticed him yet, probably because she told him and Dean that they walk about like ghosts, so Sam took the opportunity to indulge in the sight of her bared skin.

The gown itself was a very pale pink, not exactly coral-pink, but more of a pale-salmon hue. There were no straps clinging to her shoulders; the gown had an off-shoulder neckline, exposing the unblemished, vanilla skin of her shoulders and collarbones, with waterfall ruffles going along it and down the bracelet-length sleeves. The gown stopped just above her knees and she had them stretched out instead of bent, so Sam wantonly let his eyes graze her unveiled limbs. He saw so much more of her when they went to Miami Beach for a mini-vacation, but the amount of skin unveiled tonight was even more enticing to Sam.

 _'Touch. Mine. Want. Feel. Take.'_

There it was again, that chanting in Sam's mind that was trying to shove him across the room to take her right then and there on his bed like it would be okay or even justified for him to tear her dress off and mark her as his her like a lion claiming the most beautiful lioness in the pride as his Queen. Sam knew that he did not have that privilege, to simply take her whenever he was in the mood. Right about now, he was slowly but surely rising to half-mast just from his discreet appraisal of her body. He knew that they shared some romantic moments when he was a teenager, but he's already marked that off as him being a hormonal wreck and Aziza simply being the nice girl she was, trying to help him through his adolescence. He doubted she wanted him because after he was back to his adult self, she didn't flirt with him or say anything about what they did, so he left it at that.

Sam figured it was time to figure out why Aziza was here, not that he minded her presence. Now, he wanted her to stay right where she was, sleep in his room and on his bed if she wanted. Sam wanted to walk into his room every night and find her peacefully sleeping on his pillow.

Sam silently stacked the books on top of each other and held them diagonally in his hands before resting them over the crotch of his sweatpants. He hasn't been wearing underwear to bed since Aziza made it clear that this was his and his brother's home and last thing he wanted was for her to see him and think he was a pervert. Sam shifted his weight to his left foot and deliberately made the hardwood floor creak under the pressure, making Aziza look to the source of the sound.

Aziza stood and began smoothing out the blanket where she was just sitting. **"I didn't mean to invade your privacy or anything. I just saw your light on and thought you'd be in here."**

 **"I** **t's okay. I'm glad you're here."** Sam told her truthfully, his calm voice making her stop fidgeting. It sounded like she was apologizing for being in his room and he didn't want her to. She was always welcomed in his space. Sam motioned for her to sit back down, then went to the left side of the bed and sat the books on the nightstand. He looked at Aziza,thankful she was sitting again, and took a spot at the foot of the bed, facing her. He patiently waited for her to say something, but she wasn't even looking at him anymore. Her head was down and she was tracing or tugging the frills on her sleeve. **"Is everything okay?"**

 **"You tell me.** **"** She countered in a small voice, making Sam's brows furrow. Like the moon rising into the sky, Sam saw her blue eyes lift from her lap as she met his eyes, seeing the confusion they held. **"Dean was just changing my diaper not too long ago and before that, you watched me die. I'm pretty sure I traumatized you."**

Sam's brows were still furrowed, but he understood what she wanted to know. The crease in his forehead didn't ease away because his attention was on her expression. Just from looking at her eyes, Sam noticed how…depressed Aziza looked. She'd always have a light in her eyes and it was still there, but it was like a flame burning the end of a wick. A wave of someone's hand could extinguish that little flame. Her azure orbs seemed to have dulled to a sapphire and he honestly wouldn't be surprised if he drew the curtains to find the skies congested with gloomy clouds accompanied by a drizzle.

In all honesty, Sam had gotten over Aziza dying in his arms because he kept reminding himself that she died protecting Gabriel, her family, and when he realized that he didn't lose her forever. Sure, it was strange watching her grow up and that was only one of the reasons why he initially kept his distance from her, but once she hit her normal age and he saw her again, all he felt was relief and the aching in his heart was finally soothed. He wouldn't want to go through watching her die all over again and he held sympathy in his heart for Gabriel having to suffer through the agony of losing her who knows how many times, but he made his peace with it.

 **"** **I know it's a lot to take in and sometimes, it even takes me a second to find stable ground. Sometimes, when I come back…I think I'm dreaming."** Aziza's mouth twitched like she wanted to smile, but she just didn't have it in her as she dreamily stared off into space for a moment. She let out a soft sigh and brought her gaze back to Sam. **"I understand if this is weird or if you're still adjusting. I also understand if…when you got turned into a teenager, we got a little touchy, but I get it if you just wanna go back to how things were before that. You have every right to 'cause..."**

 **"** **Zia-"** Sam was ready to protest, having to force himself from jumping on his feet.

 **"** **Just…please. Let** **me."** She looked at him, a layer of sadness and exhaustion mixed with her plea. Sam recognized that look. He's seen it in Castiel's eyes, reminding him that the Angel was the oldest thing he's ever known, that he was a living part of history before it could be recorded. Sam shut his mouth and nodded for her to continue. **"I'm not normal, Sam. No matter how hard I try to live a normal life, I know that I am not normal. I don't see things like normal people do, I don't feel things like normal people do, I can do things that normal people can't. I am not Human and there is nothing is normal about me. Some days, I accept that and think I'm unique. Most days…I deny it and realize I'm a freak."**

God, how Sam loathed that word. _Freak_. That word was almost as horrible an insult as someone defiling his mother's grave. That word used to plague his thoughts every second of every day after Dean had come to get him from Stanford, always being whispered in his head like a ghost that was so deeply entertained by tormenting him. And when his psychic powers kicked in, while he was going through his detoxification of Demon Blood, his thoughts were relentless. Calling his Soul tainted, mocking that he was impure and _filthy._

But Aziza, regardless of her being of Heaven's creation, was very normal to Sam.

Sure, she's been hanging out with a runaway Archangel for most of her life and she was a key to the Apocalypse, but she still lived like an average girl. There was nothing freakish or strange about her. In Sam's eyes, she was perfect and for him to hear that she thought she was less hurt him, felt like someone had just dragged a knife across his heart. Sam had no idea that Aziza thought of herself like that, but it did explain why she assumed that Dean thought she was a monster that first night they stayed in the cabin. That's what she thought she was.

 **"** **Aziza, there is nothing wrong with you."** Sam's voice held such warmth. It was like feeling the heat of a toasty fireplace after being out in the snow all day. Aziza's brows creased in a gesture that she didn't believe him or that she was about to cry. She ducked her head again, but Sam was persistent in making her believe what he said and he'd stay up all night if that's what it took. He scooted over to the edge of the bed next to her and his finger went under her chin to make her look at him, to let her see the seriousness in his eyes that was warmed by his concern and honesty. **"My entire life's been full of all kinds of strange things that I couldn't believe, so I know weird when I see it. And you are not a freak. There is nothing abnormal about you."**

Aziza held Sam's eyes the entire time, not looking away once. He watched as the doubt that clouded her blue orbs began to clear and acceptance shined through them like sunshine breaking through gloomy skies. The dark sapphire had lightened to bright, beautiful azure and Sam even noticed that she got a bit of her usual glow back.

 **"You think I'm normal?"** She asked Sam, seeking certainty.

 **"I _know_ you're normal." **He assured, smirking at her.

For the first time since she came back and was at the appropriate age, Aziza smiled. It wasn't a full-blown grin that could blind someone with how much happiness radiated from it, but it was a thousand times better than those feeble grins she'd force on her face. Seeing it made gratification fill Sam's heart. _He_ made her smile, something that not even her beloved Gabriel could do. _He_ made her feel better, gave her some happiness when she was so glum.

Sam felt like he had to put a topping on this special moment. His hand came up to cup Aziza's cheek, being reacquainted with the summery temperature of her skin, and he leaned forward. He kissed her forehead, the smell of white lilies filling his nose due to being so close to her hair. Sam pulled back a bit, still lingering within Aziza's space bubble, and looked at the blonde. She seemed to be waiting to meet his eyes because she was already looking up at him and Sam noticed the faint flush on her cheeks.

Aziza and Sam stared at each other for what felt like centuries. Sam was unusually calm and he vaguely felt like he took a few tablets of Xanax. He wasn't bothered by how relaxed he was because he was in Aziza's presence and that made it good. He always felt like he was something good, not impure or tainted, when he was around her. He broke their shared gaze when he blinked, but it was because he felt something on his neck. From his peripheral view, he saw Aziza's arm was stretched a little, just enough to touch him. Sam swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing, when he felt her delicate fingers glide up his tanned skin to trace along his jaw and her eyes followed the path.

Her fingers stopped at his chin, just under his bottom lip and she was staring at Sam's mouth as if it was the most important thing to her. Sam licked his lips before he tried to speak, but no words came out when he saw the twinkle in her eyes and how her shoulders slightly lifted as she took in a quick breath. She wanted him to kiss her. He wasn't trying to be cocky with his assumption, but he knew the gestures of a person who wanted some form of physical contact from him and Aziza was giving him all the signs.

Sam decided to give in to temptation. He'd give Aziza whatever she wanted, he'd hand her the entire universe on a golden platter if she asked, and right now, she wanted him to kiss her, so he would. Slowly, he leaned into her again, but he wasn't aiming for her head this time. Even with him sitting next to her, the height difference between them was problematic, but at the same time, it was perfect because Aziza would always be leveled with Sam's chest. All the times she's hugged him, she could hear his heart beating and that was a beautiful thing.

Dipping his head down a little, Sam's nose unintentionally brushed against Aziza's and he gave her an innocent Eskimo kiss. He saw a blinding smile in her eyes and cherished it for a moment, then continued his course. His moistened lips teasingly brushed against hers and Sam let out a little groan. Just like the first time he kissed her under the stars in that field, her lips were still silken and he could've sworn that he tasted something sweet on them, something like the red velvet cake they shared that night.

Sam didn't stall a moment longer. His lips connected with Aziza's and he felt her arms wrap around his shoulders, pulling him closer. As their lips began to dance with one another, tongues being reacquainted, Sam felt her hands weave through his brown hair, but she didn't pull. Her manicured nails were gently dragging along his scalp and massing more than anything, making Sam's spine tingle. The girl was nothing less than gentle with everything she did.

Sam's lips detached from Aziza's when he groaned from feeling her palming his cotton-covered crotch. Underneath his sweatpants, he was fully hardened and suddenly aching to be touched, to feel the direct contact of her on him. Aziza was sweetly kissing his neck when her hand left his crotch to go to his shoulder and gently push. Sam scooted back on the bed a bit, then laid on his back, bringing Aziza with him. She nimbly straddled his hips and when she lowered herself on him, she was comfortably seated on his excited member, making Sam thrust his hips up to create some friction between them. His hands went to her hips, but she began grinding on him before he could attempt to move her and eliciting a low groan from Sam, further teasing him with every rub of their covered sexes.

Against the pleasure he was feeling, Sam squeezed Aziza's hips in a gesture for her to stop and she did so. Sam gazed up at her, realizing how pure and divine she looked, even with her flushed cheeks and amplified pupils. The blonde atop of him was what he grew up thinking Angels looked like and he admired the sight of her.

 **"A** **re you sure?"** Sam asked in his husked voiced and since Aziza was sitting on his lap, he felt the shiver that coursed through her body that accompanied the slight flutter of her eyes. _'She likes hearing you talk.'_ His mind observed and Sam's fully-erect manhood hungrily twitched at the possibility, thinking about how she'd react when they were both submerged in the depths of carnal pleasure and he whispered sweet things in her ear. He shut his eyes for a brief second to find a bread crumb's worth of levelheadedness, then opened them. He didn't want to move much, so his hand went to her cheek again and his thumb lovingly traced her cheekbone. **"You were upset. I don't want you to regret this."**

Aziza was quick to shake her head, almost frantic to dispel Sam's thoughts of her not being in the right state of mind. She was willing and consenting to continue their heated pawing and kissing. **"I won't.** **I've wanted this since we went camping** **."**

Sam's heart pounded a little faster at Aziza's confession. She's wanted him way before they made out and got touchy when he was a teenager and that just made him regret wasting so much time when he could've been making her feel wonderful. He thought back to when they went camping and how he could barely keep himself from tearing her clothes off, how he felt like an animal in heat. He wondered if she felt the same way. If she did, she did a better job of keeping her composure than he did.

Sam tightened his hold on Aziza's hips again and she looked like she was leaning down to kiss him, but he moved before she could. He gently lifted her and rolled when he laid her on his bed.

 **"I kinda had this moment planned out."** He told her, unable to keep his fingers from stroking her hair, her locks like strands of gold. **"I wanted it to be special to make up for what we left unfinished."**

Before Gabriel's encounter with Lucifer, Sam had managed to sneak into Aziza's room while she wasn't in there and went searching for her iPod. When he found it, he copied some of her Most Played songs onto his laptop and listened to them to see which ones were the most romantic. He smiled when he spotted a few Bon Jovi tracks. Once he found those affectionate tunes, he transferred the songs onto his own iPod and the last time he went on a Hunt with Dean, he bought some rose petals because he didn't want to take any flowers from her garden and some scented candles. Thankfully, Aziza hasn't noticed the styrofoam container in the fridge and the candles were in his nightstand. His plan was to invite her into his room, let her see the flames of the candles flickering on the walls along with the bed covered with a layer of rose petals and hear a soft song and he hoped she'd have a positive reaction, that she'd want him as much as he wanted her, so they could take things from there.

Sam didn't want to try to retrieve the rose petals from the kitchen because that short walk would be torturous and he didn't want to be away from Aziza for even a minute. He did want to add more meaning towards their first time together, so he kissed Aziza on the nose and slid off the bed. He went to the other side, where his books were sitting on the nightstand, and pulled the small door under the drawer open. The packs of candles he bought were inside and he debated on which ones he wanted to light.

When Sam was shopping for the candles, he remembered the candles' profiles and the effects they could have on people. He grabbed a Neroli and Ylang Ylang candle, holding one in each hand. The Neroli would discharge a sweet, honeyed fragrance with a metallic gist that soothed the heart enough to stop Panic Attacks. The Ylang Ylang candle was also proficient in calming people, but had a fruity-floral scent with a touch of Jasmine to sustain the passion. They were both natural aphrodisiacs, so Sam didn't have to worry about the sexual desire dimming away and after another second of thinking, he decided on the Ylang Ylang candles.

Sam grabbed two more candles and set one on the nightstand, lighting it with the lighter he pulled from the drawer. He set the second candle on the other nightstand, lit it, then went to his dresser. His iPod was connected to the speaker that used to be mounted in the Impala, but Dean uninstalled it again and made it clear that he did not want to see the goddamn thing in his Baby anymore. Sam didn't argue, knowing that the only reason his brother kept the mount in the car was because Aziza used it too.

Sam set the last candle a safe distance from the speaker, lit it, then scrolled through his library for the song he was looking for. He tapped the 'Play' button and pulled his white tank over his head. He went to the door and flicked the lights off, still being able to see with the flickering fires of the candles. He finally turned back to Aziza. She was sitting up against the headboard, waiting for him, and Sam immediately noticed that she took her bun down to let her hair flow behind her shoulders. Harmonious plucks of guitar strings danced out of the speakers and Aziza stared at the gadget for a second, then she smiled as she recognized what was playing.

 _The world was on fire  
and no one could save me but you_

 _And it's strange what desire  
will make foolish people do_

 _I never dreamed  
that I'd need somebody like you_

 _And I never dreamed  
that I'd miss somebody like you_

 _And I wanna fall in love_

 _And I wanna fall in love  
with you_

 _With you_

When Sam first saw the title of the song, he thought it was the Charles Isaak song from 1989 he's heard Dean listening to a few times in the Impala at night when he thought his brother was asleep. While the lyrics were relatively the same, this was a cover by James Vincent McMorrow and it was oozing with stardust.

Sam didn't take his eyes off Aziza as he neared her, his stride slow and fluent in its motions. He climbed on the bed from the foot and crawled over Aziza, so focused on her lips that he didn't realize he was still moving until his head thunked against the headboard.

 **"** **Ow."** Sam's hand went to his head to rub the spot while Aziza's hands had shot up to cover her mouth, but he could hear her suppressed laughs. He smirked. **"Yeah, no. Just laugh away while I suffer through a concussion."**

Her hands fell from her face to reveal a smile, one that Sam had taken for granted, but appreciated seeing again. One of her hands went to his head to feel around for a lump, but she didn't find one and gave him a kiss on the head.

 **"** **You're nervous."** She calmly told him and 'denial' was written all over Sam's face, but it was true. He felt clumsy and unorganized and it seemed like the candles weren't doing anything to relax him.

With a sigh through his nose, Sam admitted, **"** **I just want this moment to be perfect. I already messed up because I couldn't setup everything like I planned and I feel like I'm making everything worse."**

 **"Sam, everything is perfect** **."** She beamed up at him. **"Tonight is perfect because I'm with you."**

Just like Sam had done to her earlier, Aziza had assured him with her honeyed words. He was relieved that she still thought tonight was going to be special even with the lack of a romantic setting. He still wanted to make up for that and he would, but if tonight was good enough for her, it was perfect for him.

Aziza and Sam returned to kissing, the Hunter swearing that she tasted just like the red velvet cake they ate when they went stargazing, the blonde arched up into Sam to press her chest into his. She could partially feel the skin of his bared chest against hers and her hand had came between them to stroke his defined abs. When her nails slightly scraped against his skin, Sam started smiling because it ticked, then detached from her lips to let out a laugh when Aziza deliberately tickled him.

Sensing her impishness, Sam let out a playful growl and his hands glided up her leg and under her dress, wanting to feel her skin. He didn't linger and inched higher, his fingers dancing on her stomach. Aziza partially giggled into their kiss before breaking away and Sam was relentless in his tickle attacks, making Aziza let out a giggling squeal before she started squirming. The amorous feeling was put back into the spotlight when one of Sam's hands trailed further up Aziza's body until he was palming her right breast and he heard her little gasp.

Sam groaned because he could feel her puckering bud under his hand, letting him know that she went without bras when she slept. His free hand traveled up her leg and under her nightgown, pulling the dainty sleepwear up. She sat up a bit to let Sam pull the gown over her head and as he looked down at her, bared before him with the exception of cute periwinkle boyshorts, her nightgown slipped out of his hand and onto the floor.

Aziza's skin seemed so delicate, as pure as a lily's petal and as hairless as a marble statue. He felt as if a pinch would forever ruin its perfection. Looking at her face, Sam noticed that Aziza didn't seem shy about being bare under him and the flush that coated her cheeks seemed to have vanished to show her confidence, how she was comfortable with him. Sam was torn. He wanted to paw at and stroke and lovingly caress every inch of her body, but at the same time, he wanted to continue being gentle and light-handed and soft.

 **"Maybe you should take a picture, Sammy."** Aziza suggested, making Sam blink out of his admiring trance to see her grinning. Her coquettish smile only widened when Sam gasped, not paying attention to her hand when it dipped into his sweatpants to take his stiff length in her little hand, affectionately stroking him. **"You know, 'cause they last longer."**

Sam's response was thrusting into her hand because he couldn't verbally reply or even smirk at Aziza's sass, but he was happy to hear her saucy remarks again. He was taking more pleasure in tonight knowing that he was the reason she'd gotten her glow back, that he was responsible for getting her to smile again. And hearing her call him the pet name that was strictly reserved for Dean was just as provocative as when he heard her say his full first name.

To even the playing field, Sam's hand descended from the side of her chest and south to her panties. His hand dipped under the waistband of her panties and over her pelvis, another groan falling from his lips when he didn't feel a single strand of hair or any razor bumps, and she spread her legs wider to welcome his entry. Two of his digits stroked her lips, his fingers being coated in her slickness as he kissed her neck, hearing her breathy pants in his ear. He teased her entrance, circling the wet hole, before pushing his fingers inside her soppy heat.

Aziza suddenly squeezed Sam's cock, milking out a glob of precum, and he got to hear how pretty her moans could sound as his long fingers began stroking her snug walls, curling to tap that spongy button every time. As Sam's lips made a trail from her neck to her chest, wrapping around one bud to stimulate it with his lapping tongue, her free hand, that was clutching the blanket under her, raised to Sam's neck, gliding up to his hair and she did tug a bit. Not hard enough to hurt, but gentle enough to have Sam wanting her to yank on his locks as hard as she could.

 **"Oh god, Sam..."** She purred, her hips starting to grind down on his hand and her clit tapping against the bottom of his palm.

 **"You look so pretty like this, Zia."** He told her with a lustfully husked tone. She looked into his lust-blown eyes in slight surprise at his words, but that only made Sam smirk down at her. He looked down at her mouth with those plump pink lips and couldn't resist. His tongue slid past his parted lips and skimmed across hers. Sam felt her clench around his fingers and he sucked her lip into his mouth, still stroking the fleshy fold with his tongue. Sam released her lip with a groan. **"Fuck...so gorgeous, sweetheart."**

While she was distracted, her eyes having fluttered shut, Sam wriggled out of the confines of his sweatpants and threw them off the side of the bed. Reaching over to his right nightstand, he quietly pulled the drawer open and retrieved one of the condoms inside.

Sam knew that Dean came into his room a few times, probably just to mess with his stuff and steal his socks, because he did the same thing. It was simply the way siblings functioned. Ever since Sam lost his virginity when he was 16, Dean, being the responsible big brother that he was, has always made sure his brother was well-stocked on condoms. Dean preferred Trojan brand when it came to his sexual health and once, he _passionately_ told Sam why he favored the marque so much. Thanks to Dean, his little brother's pockets or wallet were always housing at least 3 condoms at all times. With them having rooms now, Dean had gone the extra mile and unloaded a box of Bareskin and Double Ecstasy condoms into Sam's nightstand.

At this point, Sam didn't care which one he grabbed and he didn't bother looking at the wrapper when he detached from Aziza's chest to open the foil packet with his teeth, since his other hand was preoccupied. He grabbed her hand and pulled it away from his member to roll the latex barrier onto his length and settle himself between her legs, fingering her the entire time. When his fingers slowly withdrew from her center, Aziza opened her eyes again, looking at Sam through her lashes. He leaned down, their foreheads touching, and gazed into her eyes. Sam wanted to see the expression on her face when they connected and he was going to burn the sight into his memory.

The couple moaned together, opened mouths hovering barely a meter above the other's, when Sam sunk into her. They never broke eye contact and the lasciviousness was amplified in their eyes as Sam began thrusting into her. His hazel-green orbs looked like they changed to a seaweed-green while Aziza's could've been mistaken for being Viridian in color. She was the one to close her eyes first, her head being thrown back into the pillows as she let out a luxuriated moan, her arms wrapping around Sam's strong shoulders. He grabbed her leg and one by one, guided both limbs to lock around his hips, never taking his eyes off of the blonde and her sexy faces of pleasure. Even with her firmly tangled around him, Sam felt like she could be closer and he slid his arms under her periodically arching back to keep her pressed against his chest, their bodies sliding against one another's. Sam's head fell to the crook of her neck as he groaned out his pleasure and sucked on her flesh hard enough to leave a hickey behind, every thrust of his hips bringing them closer to their release.

This wasn't like the times in Sam's past where he and his brother would be working on a case in whichever State and he'd find a girl he was interested in at a bar or diner. Under him was not some girl he'd spend a single night of passion with and would likely never see again, even if they casually chatted through texts or emails. This wasn't another occasion of fulfilling his sexual needs and selfishly chasing after an orgasm.

Sam was not just having sex with someone right now. Oh, no. That was _far_ from the case.

Right now, in this perfect moment, Sam was making love to Aziza. That was the only thing that could explain the emotions he was feeling. He was being tender and purposeful with her, wanted their coupling to last as long as it could for the night. He wanted her to feel every inch of him and never forget what he felt like inside of her. And after they finished, Sam wanted to do the whole damn thing over again until he didn't have the energy breathe. He hoped she could feel how much he cared about her and how he never wanted to be separated from her again. With their coupling, he was expressing his gratitude to her, thanking this sweet blonde for taking care of him and making him part of her family.

Both Dean and John had admitted how the Winchester patriarch fell hard and fast for Mary. Maybe it was a genetic trait for Winchester men, but Sam was over the damn moon for Aziza. He denied it because he was afraid to lose her in the same way he lost Jess, that the proclamation of his love would be the beginning of the end for her. For a long time after Jess died, Sam believed himself to be cursed, that he would never be able to enjoy love because the girl of his dreams would be cruelly taken away from him and when Aziza died, he'd started to believe it again.

But Aziza had come back to Sam. She left him for a moment, but she came back and she instantly healed his broken heart and he wouldn't lose her again, especially not after this magical night. He didn't want to tell her how he felt right now. It seemed so cliché to Sam to admit one's love while in the throes of passion because most of the time, people didn't mean the words that were passionately lured out of their lips. They were in love with the sex, not the person. Lust often took the form of love.

Aziza's hand squeezing Sam's shoulders made him realize that he was ready to come undone. There was a layer of sweat coating his body and his coalesced with Aziza's. He pulled his head away from her neck, a triumphant smirk on his face when he noticed the red spot he left, and watched her under him. Her pretty moans had settled down to mewls, but the sounds could still put the most devoted love songs to shame and her flush returned. Sam watched, transfixed, as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. He didn't know why he liked the sight so much, but it made his balls twitch nonetheless, reminding him to get his last licks in before playtime was over.

With her secured in his arms, Sam pulled Aziza up with him and sat on his haunches, her legs still coiled around his hips. Aziza needed no instruction as she rocked down into Sam's lap while swirling her hips, the creative motion making Sam's thighs twitch. All he could do was watch her in complete awe. He loved that she was comfortable with him because it gave her such self-assurance and no traces of her shyness.

Aziza's little mewls had quieted to pants of Sam's name as the Hunter took control, thrusting up into her, both of them ready to explode. He gripped her impossibly tighter and she never stopped clutching his shoulders, but she grabbed him tighter as her head fell to the crook of his neck. She began to shiver and tremble with her susurrant orgasm and Sam's release had taken him by surprise. With a final two sloppy thrusts, the last one hard enough to get a little yelp out of the blonde, Sam moaned into Aziza's chest as he emptied himself into the latex barrier.

Due to their position, Sam couldn't see Aziza's face as he calmed down and he did not see the change in her eyes. They'd started to glow again, that pale-lavender luminescence that usually signaled something dire was about to happen to her, but nothing grievous would happen to the sweet blonde. She would not die and she would not be hurt; the weather would not become violent.

As easy as it was to forget, Aziza was the one, true Soulmate and in that moment, she was simply fulfilling half of her purpose.


	17. Long Live the Reckless and the Brave

_There was nothing here, wherever he was. In this dark void, darkness was Sam's only company. And it was hot too, like an oven that's been running for hours. He looked around the nothingness until he saw something. He could make out the body of person and they weren't facing him, but Sam felt like he was being pulled to them. He didn't feel like he had legs or even a body, but was getting closer to the person and once he was near, they turned around to face him. It was Aziza._

 _She_ _was here with him and Christ, she looked so beautiful. He felt like she was wrapped in something white. A dress, maybe? He couldn't make out exactly what it was, but her hair was glowing like there was a halo perched above her head. Her eyes seemed different, but he couldn't put his finger on the change. They weren't blue or green or brown, but a dull scarlet instead. That was normal...right? He couldn't remember the facial details about her for some reason. It was as if he only had a vague, fading memory of her...almost like she wasn't real._

 _ **"**_ ** _I_ _love you, Sam."_**

 _Sam would be damned if those words weren't the most cherished sound he's ever heard. He could go deaf right now and be deprived of hearing any other sound for the rest of his life because he didn't need to hear anything else. Maybe he wasn't paying attention, but Sam didn't think Aziza's mouth moved when she spoke. And her voice...it sounded so fine-tuned, almost_ too _perfect. But, that had to be normal too because it was her._

 _Sam felt like he said something to her, that he loved her too, but he didn't hear his own words. It didn't seem to matter because_ _Aziza took one of Sam's hands in her own, but her smaller mitts didn't seem to retain much heat. It felt like she just dipped her hand into a fresh layer of snow before she touched him._ _He wanted to hug her until she was nice and toasty, but he didn't have much free will. He could look around as he pleased, but his seemingly invisible limbs seemed to be rebelling against his wishes to move._

 _Aziza turned and with Sam's hand still in hers, she began_ _leading him to something, down an aisle bordered with shadowed figures. When Sam and Aziza passed, the dark beings dropped to their knees in prostrate positions, as if they were peasants worshiping the presences of royal families. With every step that Sam took, bursts of orange ignited from behind the shadows in brass fire bowls sitting on four-legged columns. He wondered if he was in a castle or something._

 ** _Puer regem_**

 ** _Puer regem_**

 ** _Puer regem_**

 _The shadowed figures began chanting those two words and while Sam could clearly hear them, he didn't understand what they were saying. Obviously, they were repeating words in a language that wasn't English, but when they reached Sam's ears, his brain simply could not comprehend them or make a translation._ _Once at the end of the line, two last fire bowls ignited and revealed a black throne, fit for a devilish King, posted between them. Aziza guided Sam to sit on the throne and went behind it, leaving Sam to watch the shadows, still in their submissive positions, as they continued to chant._

 ** _"_** ** _Puer regem similiter certantibus coronatur_** ** _."_** _He heard Aziza announce, her voice behind him. Suddenly, the mantras of the shadows ceased._

 _Sam felt something rest on his head then, nothing heavy or particularly light. Did she just crown him? It felt like she did. It could just be her hand sitting on his head too. The shadows resumed their chanting, though they sounded…cheerful this time, like they were happy or praising._

 ** _"_** ** _This is where you belong, Sam."_** _Aziza's sweet voice was in his ear and her hands fell lightly on his shoulders, making him turn to his right. His stubbled cheek brushed against her soft skin and she planted delicate kisses along his jaw until she got to his ear._ _ **"As my King."**_

 **SN*SN*SN*SN***

Sam's eyes snapped open and he was immediately blinded by the tropic sunlight coming in from the window, making him shut his eyes. He turned his head away from the sunlight before he opened his eyes again and he felt how sweaty his chest was without even touching it, felt his heart beating a little too quickly. He went to sleep comfortably naked last night, the only thing covering him from the waist down was the blanket, but he felt like he just jumped out of a burning building.

He felt like something was wrong, but he couldn't pinpoint why he felt that way. After a moment's thought, he reasoned that he must've had a nightmare and woke himself up. He remembered waking up in something of the same condition after Jess died, sweat-drenched and feeling strangled by panic because he dreamed of seeing her burning on the ceiling again. He couldn't remember much about this dream except that it was dark and hot and…Aziza was in it, confessing her love for him. He concentrated as best he could in his just awakened state, but no more details about his dream were revealed to him and he sighed in slight frustration.

Sam's attention went to his outstretched arm, finding Aziza's bare back to him. His arm was under her torso and he could feel her limp grasp around his hand. Sam smiled. For a minute, he honestly thought he had a very lucid wet dream last night, thought she wouldn't be next to him when he woke up, but he was still sharing the same bed as her and the things he felt last night were too real to be a dream. He made her feel better last night and he hoped he'd see her smiling today.

Sam knew that Aziza wasn't a light sleeper and he began sliding his arm from under her, feeling her hand slip from his. With a final, swift tug, his arm was free, but Aziza stirred a bit. He heard her little, sleepy hum as she got comfortable on her pillow, but she didn't seem to be waking up. Sam quietly crawled off his bed and found a pair boxers and his sweatpants on the floor, tugging them on. He glanced at Aziza again, admiring how the sunlight made her hair glow, then left his bedroom.

The first stop Sam made was to Dean's room. Even with them staying at the cabin and getting healthy hours of sleep, Sam knew that his brother could wake up if a fly buzzed into the same room he was sleeping in. As quietly as possible, he cracked open Dean's door and poked his head inside. He easily found his brother laying on his stomach with his arm stretched out on the right side; his other arm was hanging of the bed and curled around the headboard, most likely having a grip on the sawed-off shotgun Dean made when he was in 6th grade. Sam noticed that the blankets opposite to his brother were open as if someone had gotten out of bed. Curious, he shut the door and went to Cas' bedroom, knocking. Nobody answered, so Sam opened the door and found the room empty.

Sam figured Castiel was still out with Gabriel or the Angel came home and was downstairs already. He didn't smell anything cooking, so maybe the Angel was talking to one of the Rock Guardians again. He headed to the nearest bathroom and got freshened up, then he went downstairs. As he went into the kitchen, he didn't spot Cas anywhere.

Sam wanted Aziza to wake up to a thoughtful breakfast in bed to make up for the lack of romantic gestures that would've accompanied their first time being intimate together. He couldn't cook anywhere near as good as she or his brother could, but he was going to try for her. He washed his hands and started rummaging around the kitchen for the box of pancake mix.

15 minutes later, Sam was looking at the plate of burnt food he managed to make without burning the cabin down. He called himself making pancakes and shredded hash browns, but everything went to hell after he couldn't get the pancake batter from sticking to the pan. Dean, Aziza and Castiel made cooking seem so easy, but it wasn't. He tossed the ruined food in the garbage and went upstairs to ensure Aziza was still sleeping before he pulled on a shirt. He found the keys to the Impala in a bowl on the living room's coffee table, grabbed his jacket from the rack near the door and left the cabin.

Sam drove to that same trucker stop that Aziza led them to when they arrived in Colorado and he ordered a pair of meals to go, then he drove back home. When he entered the kitchen again, he found Gabriel sitting on the breakfast bar.

 **"** **What're you doing here?"** Sam asked, setting the bag of food on the counter as he peeled his jacket off and draped it on the back of a chair.

 **"** **This is** ** _my_** **cabin. I come and go as I please."** The Archangel sassed. Sam, being in a good mood, actually smiled at Gabriel and washed his hands before he started plating the food from the diner. **"I sent Cassie home last night, but he's not picking up his cell. Seen him?"**

 **"Not since I've been up** **."** Sam replied, turning around to grab the carton of orange juice from the fridge. Before he did, he saw the Angel in question shuffling into the kitchen from the living room with a lazy smirk on his face. Castiel looked like he just woke up or he smoked some really good pot. And he wasn't wearing his trench coat. He wasn't wearing any clothes that belong to him. **"Actually, he's right here…wearing Dean's pajamas."**

Gabriel looked Cas up and down as the Angel went to the cupboard, then the stove to boil a kettle for a cup of strawberry leaf tea. Taking note of his little brother's mussed hair and the slightly baggy clothes he was wearing, Gabriel quickly came to a conclusion.

 **"** **Finally got your cherry popped, huh?"** Gabe asked, grinning like a fox.

 **"** **I still don't understand what that means."** Castiel sedately replied over his shoulder.

Dean had said something about popping a cherry after they watched the fireworks, but Cas didn't get a clear explanation from Dean because whenever he asked, the Hunter would be thrown into a laughing fit. He assumed Humans had something in their bodies that resembled a cherry and it could be broken by a partner at some point.

Gabriel shook his head at his naïve brother, still smirking. **"Did you fornicate last night?"**

 **"** **Multiple times."** Cas easily answered, making Sam drop the cup in his hand. Thankfully, it was plastic.

 **"** **Yep, Dean popped your cherry."** Gabe confirmed.

 **"** **I knew this day would come."** Sam said with a chuckle, picking up the cup.

As Sam retrieved the container of roses chilling in the fridge to scatter on the serving tray holding Aziza's breakfast, he glanced at the Archangel. Since Gabriel raised Cas, Sam was expecting him to be just as protective of the Angel as he was of Aziza. Sam reasoned that Gabriel's reaction was a good sign for him. If Gabriel was okay with Dean knocking boots with Cas, then he wouldn't be too upset about he and Aziza getting together.

Gabriel was taking the whole thing pretty lightly because he knew that Castiel had to have some sort of personal attachment to Dean Winchester. Angels just don't go into Hell and fight off hordes of Demons to save a Soul for shits and giggles. There was a bond made after Dean was raised from Hell, which is why Castiel had been banished from Heaven for caring about the needs of the eldest Winchester brother over Heaven's and even his own. Since they've been reunited, Cas would always have something to say about Dean and Gabe would listen to his little brother modestly gushing over the Hunter like a schoolgirl over her teacher. Gabe was happy that his little brother could experience this kind of love because most Angels would never get the chance to.

 **"** **How dare he bang my little bro without my permission? I didn't give Dean my blessing to deflower you."** Gabriel said, wagging his finger at Castiel, just before the kettle began to whistle.

The blue-eyed Angel poured a cup of tea and blew to cool it off, but looked up from his teacup and to the entrance of the kitchen just as Aziza came in. Gabriel slid off the counter and held his arms open for an expectant hug. And Aziza smiled at him, one of those heartwarming grins, and came to give him her usual warm embrace. He was happy to see that she looked much chipper than she did the last time he was here. A trip to her retreat always made her calm down and forget her worries for a while. She seemed to have a noticeable glow to her though.

When the pair detached, Aziza's eyes went to Sam and she looked like she wanted to hug or kiss him, but she stopped herself from taking a step towards him. She had yet to sit down and talk to Gabriel about she and Sam being in a relationship, but she knew she had to do that in a one-on-one session or the Archangel would turn Sam into a cockroach or something.

Sam could sense Aziza's thought process, how she wanted to show him some sign of affection, but hesitated due to Gabriel being in the room. He gave her a smile and nodded in understanding. Before he could present her with breakfast, the sliding door was pulled open and Dean came in holding a green pail.

 **"** **There's a rainbow in the backyard and it's raining Skittles."** Dean was smiling like a little kid as he grabbed handful after handful of the colored circles to toss in his mouth. **"How awesome is that?"**

Castiel was curious, so he went to investigate and like Dean said, there was a small rainbow in the backyard and Dean had some of Aziza's flower pots, a few more pails and a stockpot scattered around the backyard to collect the falling candy. The Angel assumed this was Gabriel's doing, but he was very wrong. Dean offered his candy bucket to Sam and Aziza, then to Gabriel. The Archangel, however, smacked the pail out of Dean's hands and kept a straight face as the colored circles bounced on the kitchen floor.

Gabe got into Dean's personal space and was almost chest to chest with the elder Hunter, trying to act like a macho, tough guy. Dean was 6'1 and Gabriel's Vessel was 5'8, so Dean was slightly looking down at the brunet. Not one to be outmatched, Gabriel increased his height until he and the Hunter were eye-to-eye. **"You banged my baby bro?"**

 **"** **Bitch, maybe."** Dean snarked and Gabriel cracked a smirk, unable to keep up with his act.

 **"** **I knew this day would come."** Aziza knowingly shook her head at Dean, smiling. She didn't know that she just repeated Sam's exact words, but he did and he smiled at the coincidence.

Gabe snapped his fingers and the Skittles were cleaned up from the floor, then a new bucket was in Dean's hands, though this one was filled with Sour Patch Kids, Jarheads, Mike & Ikes and stalks of Airheads or Twizzlers. When Aziza spotted the licorice, she pulled a stalk from the bunch and sat on the counter next to the sink to nibble on it.

Sam warned Dean not to eat an entire bucket of candy for breakfast, then he gave Aziza the food he 'made' for her. She could tell, just by looking at the meal, that it came from that trucker stop near the entrance of town, but she wouldn't call Sam out on it because he obviously wanted to do something sweet for her, so she smiled in thanks. Cas had just come back inside with another pail of Skittles, declaring that they were now his favorite candy, and he poured Gabriel a cup of tea, then dropped a few of the candies in his teacup.

Sam and Aziza started eating their meals. Castiel was sipping at his candied tea when he turned around, planning on properly greeting Aziza and asking Dean if he wanted something for breakfast. When he set his eyes on the blonde, he wasn't expecting to see what was there. There was some kind of…tether sprouting from her and connecting to Sam. It was the same shade of pale-lavender that the blonde's eyes could change to and it was glowing too, but he didn't understand why it was there. She didn't seem to be experiencing any discomfort or pain and neither did Sam, but something was clearly off if that thing was there.

 **"** **Gabriel."** Cas abstractedly called his brother, still staring at the leash between the pair. **"Can you see that?"**

Gabriel followed Castiel's eyes and discovered the tether as well. Simultaneously, both divine beings' brows furrowed and their heads tilted to the side in a portrayal of their confusion. Dean was all for ignoring Sam's warning of not eating candy for breakfast, but he looked to the other set of brothers in the room when Cas asked Gabriel if he saw something. They were staring at Sam and Aziza, with them staring back, but Dean didn't notice anything out of place with or around them.

 **"** **Guys, you're creeping me out a bit."** Aziza commented, wondering why Gabe and Cas were looking between herself and Sam like they were aliens. She even glanced over to Sam to see if there was something wrong with him, but he looked just fine and he looked at her with the same amount of perplexity as to why they were being stared at.

Neither Gabriel or Castiel said anything. They continued staring, trying to understand what in the name of their Father was this pale-lavender thing connecting her to Sam and vice versa. Gabe stepped closer to the pair to better investigate the leash between them with his divine abilities and now that he could see it in a new light, he could see where the tether was connected to. The connection of this leash was deeper than just the surface. One end connected to Sam's Soul, the very core of it. The younger Hunter's Soul has always been warm, bright and shining, though it dimmed when he consumed Demon Blood, but it was beaming a thousand times brighter now. Gabriel could honestly say that a light like that could only come from Heaven or something etherial.

And the other end was connected to Aziza, but Gabe could not see her Soul...spirit, whatever her life force was. The only times he could get a peek at it was when he looked into her eyes when they were glowing, but even then, it was hard to understand what to title it. His Father locked it away from a divine or hellish creature's sight for a reason and over the years, Gabriel theorized that witnessing Aziza's vitality in its raw form would be like a Human seeing an Angel's true appearance or their uncloaked wings. Even still, Gabriel knew this tether had to be connected to her life force just as it was to Sam's.

The Archangel took a few seconds to gather his thoughts and just like in the past when he would have questions about Aziza, he always thought about all the Cupids he's talked to and the things they've said about the Soulmate. He thought of the things that made Aziza unique, things that only she could do. And the realization of what had to have happened hit him like a speeding brick wall.

 **"** **Oh, my Dad. They were serious."** Gabriel's hands went to cover his mouth as if the very words he said were too sacred to be heard by just anyone.

 **"** **Who was serious?"** Aziza asked, but Gabriel simply gawked at her in response. She set her breakfast down next to her, then slid off the counter and stood before Gabriel, starting to become a little worried. And when Gabe broke out in a wide grin, she was sure he was going insane. **"What the heck is up with you?"**

 **"** ** _Bonding_** **, Zi-Zi."** Gabriel elucidated, but Aziza didn't catch on to what he meant. **"The Cupids said that you are the only being in all of existence that could** ** _bond_** **with your beloved. The most intimate thing anyone could do is make love to someone and you did that. The bond was made!"**

Gabriel was beaming at Aziza as he watched her expression shift from utter confusion to understanding, then joy. She let out a little shout of happiness, then threw her arms around Gabriel and he lifted her up to give her a spin, her laughter in his ear. He was happy for her because she'd fallen in love and that bond proved it to be true on both ends.

 **"** **Wait a minute…"** Gabriel suddenly deadpanned and set Aziza on her feet. He replayed his last thought in his mind, then looked to Sam. His whiskey eyes were steadily heating as he began glaring at the younger Winchester brother. He pointed to the tether between Sam and Aziza, but he realized that Sam couldn't see it. He reached over and tapped the Hunter's forehead with a little more force than needed, earning an annoyed look from the taller brunet, then pointed to the leash again. Sam looked to where Gabe was pointing and discovered the glowing lead connecting him to Aziza. **" _That_ wasn't there when I left, so that means you had sex with her within the last 24 hours."**

Sam heard Gabriel, but he was partially ignoring the divine being. He was in awe at the sight of this tether between himself and Aziza. It seemed like such a beautiful thing to him. He went to touch it, but his hand simply went through the glowing purple leash and didn't feel anything go through his palm. He also didn't feel any different before he knew there was a bond between himself and Aziza. He felt like his normal self.

Cas and Dean were watching the whole ordeal, the Angel having migrated next to Dean while Gabriel was explaining why the bond was there. Cas set his hand on Dean's shoulder and shared his angelic eyes with the Hunter, letting Dean see the tether between his brother and Aziza. Dean's leveled reaction was his brows raising almost high enough to touch his hairline and a muttered 'Whoa' that made Castiel smile.

Aziza sensed when Gabriel lost his good mood because it flew out the nearest window like an Angel falling to Earth in a fiery embrace. This was exactly what she _didn't_ want to happen because she knew her Archangel was going to blow things way out of proportion. Had it just been him and herself, Gabe still would've been upset, but they would've had a mini argument just like when they were in the motel in Arizona and she was trying to convince him to let her stay with the Winchesters.

 **"Gabe, just chill out, okay?"** Aziza tried, but the Archangel's eyes didn't even flick over to her.

 **"I gave you _two specific_ rules!" **Gabriel continued, his authoritative tone making Sam snap back to reality and realize he was being yelled at. Gabriel sounded like someone's father too. **"No bringing whores through this house and keep your dicks away from her, but what do you do?! You go and have sex with her! Not only that, but you _bond_ with her too?!" ** The Archangel suddenly spun on his heel and poked an accusing finger at Dean. **"You Winchesters just stick your dicks wherever you please, huh?!"**

 **"** **Gabriel!"** Aziza scolded, pulling his arm to make him face her again.

That turned out to be a bad idea because Sam was in Gabriel's sights again and the Archangel snapped his fingers. In an instant, Sam was turned into a clump of brown that turned out to be a baby Reindeer. Sam let out an abnormal holler, in what had to be him voicing his disapproval of being turned into an animal, on the countertop. Aziza collected Sam in her arms, prepared to rip Gabe a new one for doing this, but she could barely yelp when she felt herself being changed into something. Reindeer Sam and a newly turned Ducking Aziza were now on the floor, grunting and chirping in confusion or annoyance. That was Gabriel's way of telling Aziza not to interfere because he wasn't going to stop and he wasn't finished just yet. The Archangel turned around to focus on the remaining Human in the room and his mind was already filling with a variety of animals to turn Dean into for being disobedient _and_ allowing his brother to get romantic with Aziza.

 **SN*SN*SN*SN**

It's been a full hour since Gabriel's tantrum resulted in everyone being turned into animals. Castiel had been the one to get Sam and Aziza back into Humans, but he got turned into a baby Panda for helping them while Gabriel was busy running through the living room from a snarling Dean, who he turned into a German Shepard. The Rock Guardians had morphed down to their smaller sizes and watched from the sliding door, entertained by what was going on inside. They were even displaying their varicolored shades in a portrayal of their amusement.

In a blur of furs and four legs, Aziza managed to stay Human long enough to turn Gabriel into a yellow Canary and thereby stopping him from turning herself or any of the other men into animals. Now, everyone was in the living room. One of Gabriel's last feats was turning Sam into a Moose, which turned out badly for him again because Sam had joined Dean with chasing the Archangel around the living room with intentions to impale Gabe on his antlers. Aziza managed to get everyone under control just a minute ago. Sam was sitting on the floor with Dean next to him because all the armchairs, sofas or couches got overturned, but his brother had a muzzle around his snout as an extra effort to keep him from eating Gabriel. Next to Dean was Castiel in the form of a baby Giraffe and the Angel seemed to be the only one who could act his age because he caused the least problems for Aziza.

The brothers were glaring at Gabriel, who was perched on the coffee table and trapped under a plastic cup. Aziza stood in front of Gabe to get the boys to focus on her instead.

 **"Now that everyone's settled, we're gonna continue to be _calm_." ** She announced in her gentlest voice. **"I'm gonna return everyone to their respective forms and we're all gonna act like evolved, civilized beings. That means, _Gabriel_ ," **She looked over her shoulder at her troublesome Archangel. **"Don't turn any of us into animals again."**

Gabriel's response was hopping on his tiny, stick-like feet to turn his back to her as if saying that he wasn't responsible or to show that he was still upset about being turned into such a powerless animal. Aziza rolled her eyes at him and turned back to the Winchesters.

 **"** **Dean, when I take your muzzle off, you're gonna be a** ** _good boy_** **and not take a chunk outta Gabe's ass. And Sam, you aren't gonna stab anyone with your freakishly large antlers."** She sternly instructed since they seemed to want to act like the animals they were changed into. **"** **If we're all on the same page, make some kinda noise that lets me know you understand."**

Immediately, Sam snorted and Dean lowly growled in response. Aziza's warning wasn't directed towards Castiel, but he decided to respond by tapping his hooves on the floor three times to show his compliance. Aziza turned again and looked at Gabriel. Even though he was a Canary and trapped under a cup, Gabriel looked like he was glaring something godawful and he was puffed up like a tiny yellow balloon. Honestly, he looked too cute to be threatening in any way.

Aziza raised an eyebrow in challenge. She didn't turn him into a goldfish, but she was considering it just so she could flush him down the toilet and traumatize him. She was a second away from turning the stubborn Archangel into a fish, but Gabriel let out a short squawk to voice his annoyance, but obligingness to being civil. With a nod, Aziza went to the breakfast bar and retrieved the bowl that had some ingredients for a spell in it. She took a pinch of the red power in a jar and sprinkled it over the bowl, muttering the words of the spell. When she turned around, she found that there were no animals in the room.

Castiel, Sam and Dean were still sitting on the floor, but they were all down to their differently colored boxers. Dean still had the muzzle on his face too. Gabriel was sitting on the edge of the coffee table now, only in his orange Versace boxer-briefs. Each man stood and stretched their limbs, readjusting to being in Human bodies again. Aziza went to Dean and her hands were on the leather buckles keeping the muzzle fastened around Dean's face, but she didn't unlatch them yet because the Hunter was staring at Gabriel just like he was when he was a dog.

 **"** **Dean, who's a good boy?"** She asked him, hoping to tune into his lingering canine side. Castiel and Gabriel would be fine, but she knew that the Winchesters would probably be suffering the aftereffects of being turned into animals by acting like them for a few minutes.

 **"** **I'm a good boy."** Dean proudly answered and she nodded.

 **"** **That's right. And what don't good boys do?"** His response was narrowing his eyes at Gabriel. **"Dean."**

 **"** **Good boys don't bite."** He said through gritted teeth.

 **"** **And you're a good boy, so no biting."**

Aziza proceeded to unlatch the muzzle and Dean shook his head like a dog trying to try off, then he bent down and cocked his head towards Aziza. Without hesitation, she lightly scratched his scalp to praise him.

Before Aziza could ask Castiel to grab some clothes for everyone, knowing that the men would be at each other's throats again if she left the room, Gabriel raised his hand in a position that signaled he was about to use his divine powers again. Dean had taken up a defensive stance in front of Aziza and Sam, with the younger brother looking ready to kill, while Castiel had en expression of tiredness on his face at his older brother's antics.

 **"Gabriel."** Aziza warned the Archangel because he was staring at Sam like he did before they all were turned into various animals.

The gilded-winged Archangel said nothing and he didn't take his eyes off Sam. His hand was still raised, fingers pressed together and ready to let his imaginations become reality. Then, he snapped.

Aziza was ready to tear Gabriel a new one for acting so childish over what she and Sam did. Had she not gone to talk to the younger Winchester brother last night, she would still be locked in her room with tear-stains on her cheeks and a cloud of depression hovering over her head. Just being in Sam's room had made her feel so much better. Then, when she saw him and they started talking, when he said he thought she was normal...it was like watching a flower bloom. Her fluttering heart had lifted her spirits and sweet songs of acceptance were being sung in her thoughts. Those songs caroled about Sam's sweetness and his obvious care towards her.

She understood Gabriel's protectiveness, but she was not some naïf little girl that was lied to and taken advantage of. She didn't know how many lives she had before her current one and she really didn't want to think about the number, but she new that, collectively, she was old enough to make her own decisions. If one of those decisions would be to lay down with a man, then she damn well would.

Looking behind her, Aziza was a bit surprised to find that Sam was still in his Human body, but he was fully clothed now. Dean and Castiel were the same and the living room had been restored to its formerly clean state.

 **"** **Alright, kiddies, gather 'round. The Messenger of God's gotta story to tell."** Gabriel said and clapped his hands. The sound of something scraping against the hardwood floor could be heard, then everyone let out a little yelp as the couch was pushed into the backs of their knees and making them sit on it. The couch continued sliding until it was positioned in front of Gabriel sitting in an armchair. He snapped his fingers and a book was in his hand. This book was similar to his journal that Sam's been reading, but it was more organized and the covers were white with golden decorations. He specifically wrote the biography in a style that resembled a story because he wanted to gift it to Aziza when she had kids, so the story of the Soulmate could be passed down through generations. It was still a work in progress, but that was because Gabriel wanted it to be perfect and he had yet to write himself into the story. Gabe opened the book and dramatically cleared his throat. **"Once upon a time, there was a very Angry Archangel raising hell…in Hell."**

Dean and Sam were the only ones to scoff at the introduction. Gabe glanced up from his book with a playful glint in his eyes, but also a warning for the men not to interrupt again.

 **"** **One day, the very Angry Archangel felt something on Earth. He probably thought, 'It's just another disgusting Human trying to sacrifice a dozen virgins to me', but it wasn't a Human. It was his Soulmate falling to Earth and he couldn't ignore Her alluring call for another second. The very Angry Archangel abandoned Hell and ascended to Earth, answering the Song of the Stars. At the same time, his older brother was descending from Heaven, having felt the same sensation beckoning him. The brothers desperately searched Earth for the source and one of them found it. He found his Soulmate. 'Which one found Her', you ask? Nobody knows."**

To add to the mystery of the tale, Gabriel raised his eyebrows and wiggled his fingers at his audience as he 'oohed' out the _Twilight Zone_ theme song like a summer camp counselor telling children a ghost story around a bonfire. Aziza had to bite her lip to keep from smiling too much while Castiel was openly grinning. Dean rolled his eyes, but Sam didn't have a reaction. He was serious now, attentively listening to Gabriel's story.

 **"** **Now, the eldest Archangel, being the Biddable Son, could not stay on Earth for long. With their Father gone, he was made the man of the house and the responsibility of ensuring his home was running properly was dropped on his shoulders. The very Angry Archangel was left on Earth with his Soulmate and every minute spent with Her made him less angry, made him forget his spitefulness and hatred. He abandoned his throne in the Inferno, turned his back on the malevolent fiends he created, because for the first time in his existence, the very Angry Archangel felt amatory love and happiness because of Her..."** Gabriel let that brief scene of romance settle in with a momentary pause. **"But the Biddable Son would descend from Heaven and attempt to connect with his Soulmate, just as his brother had.** **Decades passed with the brothers trying to make their Soulmate feel his love more than the other's, but their attempts were for naught. Their Soulmate loved them equally, one as a dear companion and the other as a cherished lover.** **The brothers would argue and fight over their Soulmate, wanting Her to be exclusive to him. Their misguided anger and malicious words would hurt Her more than themselves. The brothers were the reason why they lost Her, time and time again. And every time She left them, the very Angry Archangel would return to Perdition to release his rage and agony of losing his love, while the Biddable Son would desperately wait for Her return."**

Dean, Sam and Castiel had already connected the dots with that last paragraph. Aziza had died more than that one time when they were in Indiana with the pagan gods. Sam had a deeper understanding towards why she had seemed so depressed and glum when she aged to a teenager again. He didn't know how far back her memory was when it came to her past lives, but remembering that she died and came back more than once obviously took its toll on her. He couldn't imagine having to remember himself dying more than once, only to live another life like everything was okay.

Sam admired Aziza for that. It took a mountain of strength to be able to accept the fact that she could never truly die and that when she did, she would simply be revived without her having a say in the matter. It seemed like a maddening and doleful experience. He's only been resurrected twice, the first time when he was stabbed by Jake Tally and Dean sold his Soul to bring him back and the second time when he got struck by lightning in Concrete, Washington as the result of Hope Lynn Casey's wish*. His deaths were nothing compared to the handfuls or even hordes of times that Aziza's had to have died.

He now understood what she meant when she was yelling at Gabriel about not having a choice with being involved in the Apocalypse, that anything she did or didn't do would have dire consequences. From the look on the Archangel's face, that was the first time she's done that and Sam's heart ached at the thought of Aziza keeping that emotion bottled up inside her without having any way to release it, without her dying, of course.

Gabriel was still silent, reading the expressions on everyone's faces. Dean and Castiel looked like they were deep in thought or even comparing their thoughts with one another, Aziza's eyes held oceans of sadness towards the characters in the story and Sam's brows looked to have been stapled together because they wouldn't relax at all. The younger Hunter looked at Aziza next to him and his hand partially raised from his leg, but he dropped it. Gabriel cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

 **"** **Before the Soulmate went to sleep within the stars, the Biddable Son showed Her the result of Her beloved's anger. She saw the Angry Archangel's legion of sinful followers ready to accede to his word, the bidding of a Serpent that could not be domesticated without Her flowery touch. And there came a dolorous flood, the skies weeping as She shed tears for Her beloved so corrupted by archaic ire. She ran to the Biddable Son for comfort and protection, begging for his help. He tried to convince Her to let him kill the Angry Archangel for Her, to take away Her fear, but his Soulmate refused the cruel offer. She presented an alternative in exchange for Her consent to bond. As a servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer, the Biddable Son sealed the Angry Archangel within a Cage for his Soulmate. And then, She slept, only to be awakened when the Seals were broken and Her beloved was released."**

Gabriel shut the book with an audible _thump_ and stood up to take a bow. When he didn't get a standing ovation, he pouted at his audience. He always retold the story of the Soulmate to Aziza on the rare accounts that she died and every time he did, she'd look so entranced by the tale, just like she was now. Every time he told her the story, _her story,_ he'd have more to say because he'd learn something new from the Cupids.

Words couldn't describe the relief Gabe felt when he decoded his Father's letter all those years ago and nothing could compare to the sheer terror that rained down on him when he first realized that Aziza was something that his brothers would destroy Heaven, Hell _and_ Earth for. The anger came next. After hearing this story retold by different Cupids with more details, he was furious at the fact that Michael and Lucifer may have love towards Aziza, but in the end, she was a weapon they wanted to use to destroy each other.

Aziza was not a weapon and she was not a _thing_ to be used at his brothers' leisure. She was a sweet girl with a big heart who just wanted to be normal.

 **"That was the story of Michael and Lucifer finding her, wasn't it?"** Dean was the first to speak. Gabriel had reclaimed his spot in the armchair and had his fingers together in a triangle-like shape on his chin, looking like a therapist in a session with his patient. He nodded at Dean's question. **"What did she do to convince Michael to throw Lucifer in his Cage?"**

 **"No idea."** Gabriel nonchalantly answered. He watched as the slight hope in the Hunter's eyes simmered away and Dean's expression fell to disappointment. **"I wasn't there, Dean. I didn't even know she existed at the time. I was focused on hiding, you know, _from every Angel in Heaven_."**

 **"Maybe she could talk to him and-"**

 **"And maybe you can go back to Hell for a century."** Gabriel cut Dean's proposition off and glared at the older brother. **"What part of 'I will never let Michael or Lucifer come near her' do you not understand?"**

 **"He's right, Dean."** Sam chimed in, making his brother and Gabriel look at him. He looked at Aziza next to him and didn't hesitate when he grabbed her hand and gave her smaller mitt a tender squeeze. **"Having Michael or Lucifer near her could make her upset again or they could kidnap her. We don't know if they have some trick to turn her against us. It's too big a risk."**

 **"I have a theory. And it's _just_ a theory. I'm not proposing we actually go through with it."** Castiel prompted. He stood up and stared at the bond between Aziza and Sam for a moment before speaking. **"When bonded, Aziza gives a substantial amount of divine power to her mate and that explains one reason why Lucifer wants her. If that's true, then Sam now harnesses that power. If we find Lucifer..."**

 **"I can kill him."** Sam filled in the blank and Cas nodded. A smile grew on Sam's face as he stood and looked between his brother and Aziza with such hope and determination in his eyes, as if he was just presented with the last Nobel Prize in the world. **"I can stop the Apocalypse before it even starts."**

The room fell silent, but Sam could practically hear the gears turning in everyone's head. He looked behind him at Gabriel, but the Archangel's attention was on Aziza. She was looking down at her lap and seemed to be deep in thought too, but the furrowing of her brows displayed her worry about this possibility or she may have been thinking about certain outcomes that could happen.

Sam didn't get a chance to read his brother's face before Dean shook his head, his expression steely. **"No."**

 **"Why not?"** Sam questioned, confused. Dean looked at his brother like he just said he wanted to consent to Lucifer's possession.

Dean stood up, still looking at Sam like he was a complete stranger who just told him that the _Busty Asian Beauties_ magazines and websitehad just been indefinitely outlawed. **"Did you forget what happened to Zia when she met Lucifer? She _died_ , Sam, in your arms."**

 **"I remember, Dean."** Sam replied in a stale tone, his eyes hardening as a warning to his brother not to rip the stitches from that wound.

 **"You want her to go through the same thing, having your body in her arms while she watches you fade away?"** Dean harshly accused and he purposely used the same tone John would when he'd scold his eldest son, knowing how much Sam hated it. Hell, Dean hated too, more than anyone could imagine. Sam's jaw locked in the way that it did when he had to bit his tongue, when he was trying to keep himself from crying or when he thought Dean was angry enough with him that the only resolution was to duke it out. **"She died because she used her power, whatever it may be. And you wanna run off and find Lucifer, so you can _try_ to ice the Devil without knowing how the hell to use this new power?"** Dean's eyes squinted as if he were trying to read the fine print in a contract. It was a rhetorical question, but Sam nodded in response.

Anybody who knew of the Winchesters knew that Dean loved his little brother more than anything in the world, but one thing he hated about Sam was his bullheadedness. It reminded Dean of John and with that came memories of their isolated childhood, of how he had to become a man when he was still a scared little boy who just lost his Mom to a demonic fire. When Sam decided to be stubborn, trying to convince him to go against his ways was like trying to tunnel through a brick wall with a plastic spoon and Dean did not want to argue with his brother about this, but it seemed like he was going to have to. Sam was usually the sensible one, so Dean decided to go with a logical approach.

With a sigh, he decided to ditch the drill sergeant tone and speak to Sam like he usually did, brother-to-brother. **"She bonded with _Archangels_ in the past, not a Human. We don't know if the same rules apply. You could use that power and _die_. For Christ's sake, Sam, you've been through this before. Are you trying to pull another Ruby stunt? Didn't you learn anything from that experience?"**

At that last remark, Sam's hazel-green eyes had been set ablaze. He didn't want to think about how he was played like a fool by Ruby and he didn't want his regret to surface after he felt like he just shoved it down deep enough to ignore it. He's apologized to his brother a million times about what he did and told him how he thought he was making the right decision, but now that he thought about it, Dean never verbally accepted his apology. He'd listen and non, maybe throw in an 'I told you so' every now and then, but Dean never said that he forgave Sam for what he did.

But all those regretful, sympathetic feelings were the last things Sam could possibly think about. He felt like Dean had just stepped over a line when he compared Ruby to Aziza because they were _nothing_ alike. Ruby was a sneaky, sinister Demon from Hell and Aziza was something sweet and divine from Heaven. Ruby turned Sam against his brother and distanced them from one another while Aziza was bringing their family closer than they've ever been.

 **"So, you can run off and sacrifice yourself without a care in the world, but I can't?"** Sam had one of those voices that didn't require him to yell to portray his anger and with a slight growl to his voice, his aggravation was easily displayed. Aziza's blue eyes shot up from her lap at the tone Sam's voice held because a chill ran down her spine. That tone his voice held sounded familiar, yet foreign to her and she didn't like that at all. **"You can sell your Soul to bring me back from death, but I can't take this opportunity, the only chance we might have, to try and fix the mess we're in? I'm trying to right my wrongs and you won't let me because it's dangerous? Because I could die? You're being a fucking hypocrite, Dean! We put our lives on the line with every Hunt we go on! Ever since you watched Mom burn on that goddamn ceiling, our lives have been filled with danger!"**

Sam had _bludgeoned_ a soft spot with the mention of Mary and he knew it would hurt Dean, but that's what he wanted to do. He didn't have such fond memories with his mother that Dean did because he was just a baby when she was taken from them, so Sam was partially immune to talking about his mother, but the same could not be said for Dean. He had 4 years' worth of fond memories with Mary and John, memories of a happy family. And for Sam to deal such a low blow to those sacred memories had successfully raised Dean's temper. His fists had balled at his sides and he had that same murderous look he'd get when he was on a Hunt and about to deliver the killing blow.

Only this time, Dean's aggravation and anger was honing in on Sam. On his baby brother. In this moment, Sam had looked like he did when he was with Ruby to Dean and those bubbles of betrayal were bursting inside of him.

Cas, Aziza and Gabriel were staring at the brothers standing in a silent rage. The former pair had anxiousness filling their blue eyes at the possibility of things getting physical, while Gabriel looked like he was about to blow a fuse. Seeing Dean and Sam in the state they were in had hit home for him, reminding him of how things were in Heaven when Michael and Lucifer would argue all the time.

Gabriel stepped between the brothers and demanded in a stern, strong tone, **"Both of you, cut it out _now_."** He looked to Dean first, glaring at him. He scolded the Hunter with his eyes for easily falling into the trap that Sam obviously set. Then, he turned to the younger Winchester brother and gave him a glare too, rebuking him for poking the bear that was his brother and knowing how Dean would react. If there was one thing about the Winchesters that Gabriel admired, it was that they had family keeping them together and he was not going to sit by and watch this family be torn apart by angry words and needs of redemption. **"You can't stop the Apocalypse if you're busy fighting each other. You wanna duke it out? Fine. Summon Lucifer and Michael and get this over with."**

There was silence again. Dean and Sam were clearly still irritated with one another, but they would both glance at the Archangel between them and see how Gabe was waiting for them to start mouthing off, almost daring them to.

 **"Dean, Sam, I'm sorry."** Castiel spoke up, his voice as gentle as a falling snowflake. Dean and Sam were still scowling at each other, but Dean looked to his Angel. **"It's my fault you're arguing. I shouldn't have said anything."**

 **"You were just brainstorming, Cas. It's not your fault Sam took your theory seriously."** Dean looked to his brother just as Sam scoffed.

 **"When are you gonna stop treating me like a little boy?"**

 **"The day you stop acting like a snot-nosed brat."**

 **"I never asked you to hover over me, Dean."**

Dean's jaw locked impossibly tight at yet another low blow from his brother, threatening to crack his teeth. **"You'd be _dead_ if I weren't around."**

 **"Stop it!"** Everyone's eyes landed on Gabriel, but that demand didn't come from him. Everyone's attention shifted to Aziza and she was on her feet now, brows pulled together with a stern expression on her face. **"There's enough monsters and bad things out there to fight. We don't need this negativity and violent agitation in here."** She simultaneously scolded both the brothers, who looked down at their feet almost as if they were ashamed. She went to Sam's side and he picked his head up to look at her, still shamefaced. She sighed at his expression, but she couldn't give in to his idea. Sam basically wanted to knock on Death's front door and she was not okay with that. **"Dean has a point. We don't know what's juicing me up and I've never bonded with a Human. If you try to do this and you don't come back or if it hurts you instead-"**

 **"Or Michael could be unbelievably pissed at you for ganking his brother and makes you suffer unimaginable pain in return."** Sam shot Gabe a look that said 'Butt out' when the Archangel added his two cents and he felt like he was being pushed into a corner with nobody on his team because Aziza obviously didn't approve of this idea. Gabriel shrugged at Sam's betrayed expression. **"I'm not picking sides here, but if you wanna do this, you gotta factor Michael in 'cause he's not just gonna sit there and watch you try to kill Lucifer. That's supposed to be his destiny."**

Sam lost his glare and looked at Aziza again when he felt her grab his hand. Those blue eyes were looking up at him and pleading for him to get this calamitous notion out of his head. Sam tenderly squeezed her hand and used his other one to cup her cheek, staring into her eyes and trying to make her understand where he was coming from.

 **"It's for the greater good. And whatever happens to me is worth it."**

Aziza shook her head in response and dropped Sam's hand. When she took a step away from him, Sam felt like half of his heart shattered into millions of pieces. She folded her arms under her chest and her head was down, but she looked at Gabriel from under her lashes.

 **"How do I undo it?"** Gabe raised an eyebrow in question at her inquiry, asking her to explain. She had to take in a breath before she spoke and when she did, she dropped her arms to her side, held her head high and had a world of determination in her azure eyes. **"I bonded with Sam, how do I...unplug the bond? How do I detach from him?"**

 **"Zia-"** Sam called her, panicked. He reached out for her arm, but she took another step away from him, closer to Dean, and was out of his reach.

 **"So long as you're connected to me, you're gonna have the thought in your head that you can kill Lucifer and you're gonna try to sacrifice yourself to stop the Apocalypse and you're gonna keep arguing with Dean."** She cut him off and the seriousness in her tone was enough to make Sam's spine straighten and his lungs tighten, anxiety strangling them. She looked like someone's mother that was about to start a nuclear war for the sake of her children. **"I am not losing you, Sam. Not you or Gabe or Dean or Cas. Nobody's dying."**

It felt like Sam's whole world was threatening to be taken away from him when Aziza said she wanted to break their bond, that she wanted to detach from him. It wasn't that he was concerned about the bond being broken, but more so the fact that it felt like she wanted to leave him. Earlier in the kitchen, Gabriel seemed like he was saying that Aziza could only bond to someone when she loved them and that fact made Sam's heart soar to a place higher than the Heavens. She loved him and he her, but she was willing to sacrifice that just to keep him alive.

Aziza's stern eyes were pinned on Sam for another minute, ensuring that he knew she had control over this situation and that she would do whatever she saw fit. Once that was established by Sam's shoulders slumping, a piece of his confidence being chipped away by the slight and unusual coldness in Aziza's eyes, her attention returned to Gabriel.

 **"Zi-Zi, I don't know how the bond between you two can be broken or if that's even a possibility."** He told her honestly, not that he would ever lie to her about her own existence. He didn't know that the Cupids were serious when they mentioned the Soulmate bonding with her beloved, so he never asked for details. He had no knowledge about the literal bond between Aziza and Sam. He didn't know if Castiel's theory about Aziza's unstable power being transferred to Sam now that they were bonded was true. What he did know was that he had some studying to do. **"But I think you scared Sam straight. He's not gonna run off to try to be a heroic martyr because if he does, he's gonna have to deal with one pissed off big brother and an even more pissed off girlfriend to deal with."**

Aziza nodded in response, but seemed a little disappointed at Gabriel's answer. If he didn't tell her what he heard from at least three Cupids, then she knew he didn't have any knowledge on the subject. In all honesty, she didn't want to break her bond with Sam. She cared about him just as much as he cared for her and he made her happy, made her feel more normal than she's ever felt. Sam was sweet and kind and gentle and she adored that about him. Another positive attribute was that if she was connected to Sam, she couldn't be bonded to anyone else and that included Archangels. The B-Side to hers and Sam's newly formed bond was that she didn't know if Michael and Lucifer already knew, if it was possible that they could've sensed if she bonded with someone other than themselves. She reasoned that if they did, there would be a lot of chaos brewing on Earth at the moment, so it was highly likely that they had no idea.

Dean had reiterated that Sam was not going to go picking a fight with Lucifer under the unreliable circumstances that he _could be_ powerful enough to ice the Devil and Sam had no choice but to agree to the 'order of the court', so to speak. Castiel tried apologizing again, but Sam was the one to tell the Angel that there was nothing to be sorry about. Cas still seemed to want to vindicate himself, so he planned on making the rest of the meals for today. Before that, he was going to go into the kitchen to bring everyone a cup of strawberry tea and the chocolate Milano cookies Aziza usually served with the steeped leaves in hopes of further calming his family.

Before Cas went into the kitchen, he asked Dean if he wanted anything to eat, remembering that the older brother didn't have a proper breakfast, but Dean declined. The older Hunter grabbed his coat from the rack near the door and his keys from the coffee table and said he was going out. Sam knew better than to ask where his brother was going, so he didn't, but Dean got one look at Aziza and couldn't be as careless and cold as he was trying to be. He gave her a hug and told her that he was just going out for a drive to clear his head, even smirked at her to let her know he'd be okay.

When Dean left, Aziza decided to assist Castiel in the kitchen and she didn't even grace Sam with a parting glance when she went. It felt like the entire universe and every being within it that had the ability to produce sound was screaming at Sam to make things right with Aziza. Thanks to Gabriel's touch, he could still see the bond they shared and he noticed that it was not glowing as brightly as it was earlier that morning. Now, their tether resembled a purple Hyacinth that was slowly fading away, but still clinging to life. After what happened last night, Sam wanted this morning and the rest of their day to be full of happiness and smiles and sweet kisses, but that was not an option now. He knew he had to do something to make Aziza forgive him and on top of that, he had to make amends with his brother too.

Sam sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face. He felt like there was a backpack with a dump-truck's worth of books cramped inside on his back and he wanted nothing more than to be free of the weight. When he opened his eyes, he noticed that Gabriel was sitting in the armchair again, seeming to be waiting to be acknowledged.

 **"You're okay with me and Aziza now?"** Sam asked, guessing that the Archangel wanted to have a talk with him now that it was a known fact that he and Aziza were together.

Gabriel scoffed. **"By Father, _no_. I don't approve and I should smite you for what you did." ** He stared at Sam with his threatening whiskey eyes for a moment, then sighed and shrugged. **"But what can I do? The bond's been made. As much as I want to, it's not like I can just take a pair of scissors and sever it."**

Sam looked like he was about to let out a sigh of relief, but Gabriel snatched the opportunity away by standing and closing the distance between himself and the Hunter.

 **"Just remember, Sam. I am a divine being, one of Heaven's _most terrifying weapons_." ** Gabe deviously smirked at the taller brunet. Sam knew the Archangel's threat was earnest because Aziza had to be one of the most important things in Gabriel's existence and he would surely decapitate the President if it meant keeping her safe. **"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a Cupid to find. Thanks to you, I've gotta figure out the nitty-gritty details of this bond."**

With a snap of his fingers, Gabriel was gone and Sam finally let out the breath he was holding, but it didn't help to relax him in the slightest bit. He looked into the kitchen at Aziza and Cas sitting at the table with teacups and cookies, but she didn't look at him and Sam felt like he deserved that. He climbed the stairs and went into his room, noticing that the bed was made and that Aziza's nightgown was missing. He slipped his hand between his mattress and pulled out the notepad with scenarios on how he planned to reveal the biggest mistake of his life to a certain blonde.

If he was going to repair the new relationship he had with Aziza, the first thing he had to do was be completely honest with her. He'll admit that he was being selfish by prolonging his confession and he shouldn't have gotten intimate with her until she knew, but he knew that he couldn't keep her in the dark any longer. He had to tell her that he let Lucifer out of the Cage.

* * *

*S4 EP 8 - Wishful Thinking  
As a refresher, this was the episode with Teddy the Suicidal Teddy Bear.

Long chapter with lots of info. Took me a minute to dish this out.  
Hope you enjoyed :3


	18. Darling, Don't Be Afraid

**"I let Lucifer out of his Cage and he needs me to end the world...I shouldn't have kept this from you and you have every right to be mad at me...if you need to take a break from our relationship, I understand...I hope you'll be able to forgive me, someday."**

Sam was pacing back and fourth in the hallway, repeating that same string of sentences like an actor rehearsing his lines for a movie. Whenever he needed a confidence boost, he'd look at the bond connecting him to Aziza and even with its dull-purple hue, it was still a magical and beautiful sight to his eyes.

It's only been a day since he discovered Aziza bonded with him and that he got into an argument with Dean. To say that things have been awkward would be an understatement. Sam knew that when Dean gt back from wherever he went to cool off, he wasn't going to talk to him unless he absolutely had to and even when he did, there would be some dryly sarcastic comment about how Sam didn't need his big brother to do anything or Dean would always inquire if he was hovering over Sam when they were in the same room. Cas would always look at Dean with those big, blue eyes of his, clearly pleading for the siblings to stop being childish and just make up, but just like Sam and their father, Dean was bullheaded too. It was highly unlikely that he would be the one to apologize because he'd feel like there was nothing for him to say he was sorry for.

And Sam would admit that Dean was right. He shouldn't have said those spiteful things about Mary or his brother yesterday and now, he had to suffer through the consequences.

It was lunchtime now and Dean had made BLTs for the household, teaching his Angel yet another recipe. When the food was done, Dean had a sandwich on a plate with a cup of Watermelon-Lime Agua Fresca, a drink that Castiel made, in his hand and went upstairs. Cas was left in the kitchen, devouring his lunch, and Sam took the opportunity to talk to someone who was on neutral ground. He asked the Angel if Aziza was alright, if she was acting any differently, because he hasn't seen her all day. Cas' reply was that he hasn't spotted Aziza either and that just made Sam feel horrible. If nobody's seen her, that meant she was locked away in her room because she was upset and Sam felt responsible for it.

Sam heard Dean's footsteps coming back downstairs, so he planned to grab a BLT and eat in the living room or down in the library to avoid another awkward encounter with his brother, but he didn't move fast enough because Dean was back in the kitchen. Sam and Cas watched, dumbfounded, as Dean tried to say something, but he wasn't using his words. He was just making hand motions that only further confused his Angel and brother. After another minute of trying to have a motion-based conversation, Dean simply pulled Sam out of the kitchen and pointed upstairs.

So, there Sam was, pacing and trying to figure out how he was going to break the news to Aziza without her being more upset than she already was. He knew that stalling wasn't going to get him anywhere, so with a final glance to the bond he shared with the blonde, he sucked it up and decided to pull on his big boy pants.

Sam marched down the hall and to Aziza's bedroom door, determination set in his eyes. He knocked twice and while he waited for her to answer, he was muttering what he was going to say under his breath. When he heard the knob click, he was ready to let everything fall from his mouth like water cascading over a precipice.

But when the door opened to reveal a blonde, his brain immediately fried and the only coherent thought he had was: Beautiful.

Aziza stood there in grey and pink leggings and a navy pull-over hoodie, her hair pulled back into a wavy and messily cute ponytail. Her blended hair had settled on being a creamy-blonde hue, her unpainted lips were the same shade as a sweet glass of pink lemonade and those azure eyes were still sparking like stars.

But Aziza no longer looked like a lively 18-year-old.

She looked like she was a random college girl in her dormitory, like she was in her early 20s, 23 at the oldest.

Sam was left staring at his girlfriend in shock, torn between wanting to ask what the hell happened or simply standing there and admiring her for days on end. Aziza was waiting for Sam to say something, nibbling on the BLT Dean delivered just a minute ago. Had the eldest Winchester brother not knocked on her door, she'd still be fast asleep. She didn't know why she felt so tired because she never stayed up late and yesterday was no exception. When she finally pulled herself out of bed, she felt like a caterpillar that just broke out of its cocoon with gorgeous wings to show the world.

Aziza started to smile when Sam still didn't say a word to her. She didn't get a chance to ask Dean if he worked things out with his brother because he started staring at her like Sam was now. She wondered if she had dried slobber on her face, but she didn't feel anything crusty on her skin.

Sam's brain finally rebooted and was in working order again, so the first thing that flew out of his mouth was, **"You're different."**

That made Aziza giggle, but she asked Sam to explain what he meant. He grabbed her hand and brought her into the nearest bathroom to look in the mirror to see what he meant. When Aziza, saw herself, she just stared at her reflection, wide-eyed and seemingly unbelieving. She touched her face just to make sure the glass would reflect her movements and ensure that she wasn't dreaming.

As far as she was concerned, Aziza has never aged to an adult. She sometimes felt older than she looked, like Claudia from _Interview with the Vampire_ , and that made her go looking in the library for a spell to mature her, but none of them ever worked. She even asked Gabriel to use his Archangel magic and make her look like an adult, but not even his divine powers could do anything to age her.

The thought of Gabriel made Aziza snap out of her shock. So long as she was wearing his bracelet or in this cabin, she didn't need to use her phone to call him. Aziza was all but flying down the stairs as she called Gabriel and when she got down there, he was coming out of the kitchen with a half-eaten BLT in his hand, Cas and Dean in tow.

When Gabriel saw Aziza, he almost fainted.

Since she's been with him, she's always been a baby, toddler, child or teenager. _Not once_ has he ever seen her grow into an adult and the Cupids never said anything about her aging process, as strange as it was. When none of the spells in the library or even his angelic abilities could do anything to affect her age, Gabe had no other choice but to accept the fact that she wouldn't get any older in appearance and there was nothing either of them could do about it.

After a moment of staring at a beaming Aziza, then to Sam, Gabriel's mind came up with an explanation. He reasoned that the bond she now shared with the younger Hunter had something to do with her appearance. It was the only thing that made sense. Speaking of the bond, Gabriel and Sam had just noticed that the tether was no longer that faded shade of purple. Just like yesterday, before Sam's plan to go picking a fight with Lucifer, the bond was a bright, almost proud shade of lavender, like a newly bloomed flower.

Before he left to hunt down a Cupid, Gabriel advised Aziza to stay inside the cabin for the rest of the day, just in case Michael or Lucifer could sense her change, then he told Sam and Dean to kiss and make up or he was going to turn them into the jackasses they were acting like. Once he was gone, neither brother made a move to start talking, so Aziza decided to take matters into her own hands.

Within the blink of an eye, Aziza transported Sam and Dean into what looked like an interrogation room with one window that was too high for anyone to reach and there was no door. There was a mini fridge and a pair of cushioned armchairs. They heard Aziza's voice, on what sounded like an intercom, telling them that she wasn't going to let them out until they talked things out.

Even being trapped in a room with no way out, neither Sam or Dean said a word. After a few minutes of stubborn silence, the older brother went to the mini fridge and pulled out a six-pack of beers, then went to sit in one of the armchairs. He tossed Sam a can, then opened one for himself. Sam took that as his only chance to start this conversation, so he opened his beer, took a sip and sat in the other armchair.

It took all of three hours and another pack of beers, but after a couple minor arguments, some teary-eyed words of how much the brothers cherished what little family they had and jokes about how God had to be the Deadbeat Dad of All Time for how Lucifer and Michael turned out and for the destinies He planned for them, peace was made between Dean and Sam.

Aziza returned the intoxicated brothers to the cabin and was happy that they made up, but now they were drunk. Dean had wandered over to Castiel and the Angel had his full attention, so Aziza focused on getting Sam into bed. She managed to lure the Hunter upstairs, but he refused to go into his room; he wanted to go in hers. Sam had flopped down on her bed and she was laughing as he told her how good her blankets felt. Sam then requested that she cuddle with him and Aziza happily did so, getting in bed and snuggling with her drunken Sammy and his sweetly slurred words. She managed to hear him apologize for scaring her yesterday and he was mumbling something else about Lucifer, but she couldn't understand what he was saying. It was only a few moments later that Sam had fallen into a deep sleep.

* * *

 _The soft tinkling of_ Aura Lea _from Gabriel's music box could be heard playing in the background, acting as a soundtrack of sorts. In the distance, there was a tall, white castle and a fairy tale-like forest, having trees with puce-purple trunks that grew candied apples, just beyond its protective walls._

 _Within the forest, ludic Nymphs were frolicking through the woodlands and long, giant dragons were gliding in the sky with a flaming blue and magenta Phoenix. On the ground were trotting, sparkling Unicorns with rainbow manes and tails. A Human male was watching the Unicorns from a next to a sparkling soda stream filled with colorful Swedish Fish and enlarged Gushers replacing lily pads, but the man began to transform into a sapphire and cerulean horse with a black mane and tail. The Kelpie whinnied before joining the prancing group of Unicorns. Puffs of white were scattered around the grassy meadow that were sleeping Sheep with the face and ears of a Koala._

 _This ebullient and imaginative world, that could only be descried as some kind of Neverland, was titled Zeallegon._

 _Beyond the Kingdom's protective walls, its Princess was strolling through the forest. Aziza was wearing a white, strapless ball gown with a chapel-length train. Delicate and elegant embroidery decorated the hem of the skirt. Inches above the hem, Blue Delphiniums and azure Hydrangeas blended with sparkling crystals and were beaded into the gown, traveling up to create the corset of the dress. The blue shades only served to brighten Aziza's eyes to the point where they seemed to be glowing._

 _Glowing butterflies, sparkling Pixies and Fairies were whipping past her, though a few of them stopped to greet the Princess before flying away. Upon hearing something sniffing near her, Aziza turned around a found a dog-like creature at her leg. It was Wiener dog whose body was actually made out of a hot dog with a bun. A tiny, brown animal burrowed up from the dirt and seemed to be a Prairie Dog, but this one began singing_ Pop Goes the Weasel _and the Wiener dog tried to catch it, but the caroling rodent retreated underground. A Jackalope hopped by and the Weiner dog followed it._

 _Lucifer's been present in Aziza's dream since she fell asleep and he's been watching her since she ventured beyond her royal palace. He was mesmerized by how beautiful she looked in her adult form and couldn't help but admire her. Unfortunately, there was a limit to his visit and he had to make the most of it while he had the chance._

 _Lucifer took in a breath in an attempt to calm his nerves. He's been walking right beside Aziza without her knowing, but he came to her front and uncloaked himself. He'd taken the time to dress as a royal prince to blend-in with her dream, but he did not take another form. He was still wearing Nick's skin._

 ** _"_** ** _Your majesty."_** _Lucifer bowed to Aziza and when he glanced at her, he was greeted with her beautiful smile._

 _Aziza returned the Prince's greeting with a perfect curtsy. She just realized that she had to be lucid dreaming again and that was totally awesome. She couldn't wait to tell Gabriel about this one, but she wondered if her Archangel was already watching her dreams._

 _When the Prince straightened to his full height, Aziza's noticed something peculiar about him. There were blurred…well, things behind the Prince. She couldn't make out their shape, but they seemed to be a shade of white and she wondered what they could be. And the Prince himself was illuminated for some reason._

 _Lucifer watched as Aziza's head slightly tilted to the side. His nervousness grew as he watched her inquisitive eyes look at something behind him, most likely being his still cloaked wings. He was trying not to fidget, but he couldn't help angling his body so that his wings were more concealed behind him, out of her sight._

 ** _"_** ** _I didn't mean to stare, but you're kinda…glowing."_** _Aziza told the Prince upon seeing his change in posture_ _ **. "There's a really bright light coming from inside you too. It's warm and…kinda familiar..."**_

 _Her brows creased together as she tried to understand what she was seeing. She knew she was dreaming, but none of her other dreamland characters were glowing like the Prince was. An idea suddenly popped into her head, one that made partial sense. She honestly didn't know if Cupids were powerful enough to enter dreams, but maybe this Prince was a Cupid that was in Colorado and sensed her presence._

 _Aziza smiled at the thought of meeting another Cupid, but her grin grew even wider with the next thought. She could be dreaming about Sam and that glowing was his Soul_ _._ ** _"_** ** _What's your name, noble Prince?"_**

 _Lucifer prudently thought about each word he was going to say. He didn't want to lie to her, but he knew that she would become frightened and he'd be locked out of her dreams if he revealed who he was. He didn't want that. He wanted to connect with her in some way until he found her again. He wanted her to feel safe with him, adored. He wanted her to feel his love again._

 _For a moment, Lucifer thought about how Aziza liked calling him 'Luci' and all the times he's watched that darling smile appear on her lips. That smile was reserved only for when she'd call him by that pet name. He couldn't risk it though. Gabriel was the one to give him the nickname and if he told her that, she'd realize who he was._ _He also wanted to tell her that this wasn't the first time he's been in her dreams. Since his release, he was always present in her dreams when she was younger, but as she grew, something began blocking him from entering her dreams. He also, regrettably, knew that whenever he was allowed access into her dreams indicated that she died recently and that the barrier was recreating itself._

 _Aziza took the Prince's silence as him not having a name, which made sense since this was her dream and she made or remembered everything within it._

 ** _"_** ** _How about we stick with Prince? Short, simple and sweet."_** _She offered and Lucifer nodded in acceptance._

 _The Archangel regained his place at Aziza's side as they began walking towards her Kingdom. It took him a moment, but he managed to find the courage to offer her his arm and she took it. He could feel the skin under his sleeve breaking out in goosebumps due to her touch. He wondered if he could convince her to let him be her King in her Kingdom. That would undoubtedly give him permission to enter her dreams whenever he wanted and he could spend more time with her._

 ** _"_** ** _Aziza, can I ask you something?"_** _Lucifer asked, looking down at her._

 ** _"_** ** _Sure."_** _She tore her attention from another batch of Faries and to the Prince. When he didn't say anything, but looked like he wanted to, she told him,_ ** _"Really, it's okay. You can ask me anything."_**

 _Lucifer truly admired Aziza's kindness, how she could be nice to a complete_ _stranger simply because that was who she was. That was one trait that never changed with her, no matter how many lives she lived._

 _With a quiet sigh, he stopped their walk and turned to her, taking her hands in his._ ** _"…_** ** _where are you?"_**

 ** _"_** ** _We're in my dream, so in my head."_**

 ** _"_** ** _No, darling."_** _He chuckled before hesitating, unsure of how he could get his answer without scaring her away._ _ **"I mean…where are you sleeping? Where is your bed, your home?"**_

 _Her head slightly titled to the side in confusion at the Prince's question._ ** _"_** ** _Why do you wanna know that? It's not like you can come visit me."_**

 ** _"_** ** _What if I told you I could?"_** _Lucifer proposed with a smile._ ** _"We could be together in the real world. I'd love to see you again."_**

 _Aziza hesitated, but Lucifer was patiently waiting and stroking the backs of her hands with his thumbs. He couldn't imagine how long its been since the last time he got to touch her, but it felt like millenniums ago. While Lucifer was lost in appreciation of being so close to his Soulmate again, Aziza was in her thoughts. Something about this dream and this Prince wasn't right. None of her other dreamland creatures looked so Human, nor did they talk to her. The most they did was smile and bow and the only word they could say in English was 'Princess.' This Prince seemed too normal. She couldn't remember ever having or making a King in_ _Zeallegon, so why was this Prince here?_

 _She thought back to how important dreams could be, the messages they could send. More specifically, how important_ her _dreams were. Gabriel had talked to her about her dreams because she typically had very lucid ones and as fun as it was to remember her imaginative fantasies, she had to be on the lookout for supernatural beings that could've slipped in._

"Angels don't need permission to enter someone's dreams, it's free range. We usually hop in there when we need something from a Human. You'll know an Angel's in your dreams 'cause you either be having the worst nightmare of your life or everything'll seem too good to be true. Once you realize that, start screaming. I'm serious, Zi-Zi. Scream your goddamn head off, slap yourself, jump off a cliff, do whatever you can to wake yourself up. Don't listen to what the Angel has to say, don't try to figure out what it wants. Just. Wake. Up."

 _Aziza remembered that speech because both she and Gabriel knew how important it was for her to know when a divine being, other than Gabe, was in her dreams. The most plausible reason for an Angel to be in her dreams would be because they working for her Soulmates...or they_ were _one of her Soulmates._

 _Aziza snatched her hands away from the 'Prince' and took a few steps back as realization sunk in. She didn't know if she was just talking to Michael or Lucifer, but it didn't matter._ ** _"Stay away from me!"_**

 _With a simple thought of something to keep him away, red stalks emerged from the ground around Lucifer and shot upwards. After a brief moment of construction, the Archangel was caged in a prison made of cherry Twizzlers. He almost chuckled at the thought of eating his way out, but he set the idea aside. His mate was obviously frightened and he should've expected that, just as he should have expected her to realize who he was._

 _So, even though Lucifer knew he could get out of his candy prison with a wave of his hand, he abstained from releasing himself. He just wanted a moment to talk with his mate and he was basking in her presence, but after this encounter, he knew he would be hungry for more. To touch his mate's skin again, her hair, to hug and kiss her and ultimately, to bond with her._

 _All of those fervid desires would be fulfilled in due time. If there was one thing Lucifer learned while he was trapped in the Cage, it was patience and when it came to his mate, Lucifer had all the longanimity in eternity._

 ** _"_** ** _Aziza, please listen to me."_** _He cooed to his mate, his tone calm and reassuring that he was not the least bit angry at her._ _ **"I don't want to hurt you. I never have. I just want to protect you. I want to know you, to love you."**_

 ** _"_** ** _And I want you to stay away from me!"_** _The blonde demanded, the slightest flush coating her face to portray her anger. Habitually, Lucifer's eyes were pulled to the sky and he found that in her dreams, the sky was replaced by the Fox Fur Nebula. It was a picturesque sight and he was even happier to see that his mate's emotions hadn't altered the environment in any way._

 ** _"_** ** _Michael's been playing the same game I am, Aziza."_** _The Fallen Archangel enlightened her, making Aziza pale at the fact that Lucifer had found a way into her dreams. He seemed so nice, but that had to be an act because he was_ Lucifer, _the Archangel that wanted to end the world and slaughter her family._ ** _"That little slice of Heaven you run to when you get worked up? He made it when we found you and he inserted himself into his little world to get closer to you."_**

 _Lucifer wasn't surprised that his brother was using that trick to get closer to Aziza because Michael had done the same thing long ago. When Aziza was frightened, most likely due to what Lucifer was doing in Hell, she would retreat to the small Heaven his brother made especially for her. It was a safe place for her to stay until she wasn't scared anymore, but it also gave Michael the opportunity to win her favor. While Lucifer was never able to visit the Heaven himself, he stumbled across one of Aziza's recent memories when he entered her dreams and saw the old trick his brother was playing._

 _Aziza wanted to ask how the hell Lucifer knew about the retreat she went to, but all she could do was shake her head, unbelieving him. **"You're**_ ** _lying._** **I** ** _made that place when I was a kid."_**

 ** _"_** ** _Never have I lied to you, valentine."_** _Lucifer told her and Aziza blinked at the familiarity that pet name held. He couldn't count how many beings he's lied to, but the one person he's never even told a white lie to was his Soulmate, not once in any of her lives. He couldn't say the same about Michael._ _ **"**_ _ **Your 'Misha' is the one who's been deceiving you. He's been lying to you about who he truly is, taken on another form to pull the wool further over your eyes. I presented myself to you as I am, no smoke and mirrors or masks."**_

 ** _"_** ** _You're the Devil. You lie about_** **everything** ** _."_** _She narrowed her eyes at him, her words like fiery meteors_ _of venom._

 _Lucifer was rendered silent. He thought that hearing Michael call him that was the most hurtful thing he ever experienced, but it was nothing compared to the heart-shattering feeling he got hearing that misplaced slur being spat at him by his only mate._ _Still, Lucifer refused to be upset with her. He was going to find out why Gabriel has been filling her head with these corrupt thoughts and how his little brother knew of her existence to begin with. Lucifer was sure that, aside from himself, Michael and God were the only beings that knew the Soulmate existed._

 ** _"_** ** _I am not the evil creature you believe me to be, Aziza. You are my mate, my beautiful valentine. You made me feel a love stronger than the affection I held towards my Father. And watching you fall for me…seeing the adoration in your eyes…"_** _There were no words that could possibly describe how Lucifer's heart would swell as he realized she was falling in love with him after he'd already been head over heels for her the moment he laid eyes on her. He couldn't explain how his Grace excruciatingly ached for her while he was in Hell, but now, it was a dull throbbing just because he was in her proximity. He hoped that sharing those tender words with Aziza would make her relax just a bit, but she was still stiff and cautious. Lucifer sighed, his head resting on the red stalks._ _ **"**_ ** _Why do you fear me?"_**

 ** _"_** ** _I don't fear_** **you** ** _! I'm scared of what you and your stupid brother are gonna do to the Human race, to the entire planet, just because you're mad at each other!"_** _Aziza fiercely snapped at him, getting a little closer to Lucifer's candy prison before she started pacing back and forth. He remembered that was a habit of hers._ ** _"I'm terrified that Sam and Dean are willing to sacrifice their lives just to keep you away! I'm going crazy because, apparently, I'm not even safe from Archangels in my dreams! I hate this whole thing because I don't hav-"_**

 _Without warning, Aziza abruptly vanished, supposedly disappearing into thin air. Lucifer sighed as realization washed over him. She'd gotten too riled up and woke herself up, just as a Human would startle awake in the midst of a nightmare._

 _Lucifer simply plucked one of the candy stalks confining him and the entire prison fell around him. He captured a Witch from the Grand Coven and she performed a spell that allowed him to get into Sam and Aziza's dreams to plant his seeds, nudging them in the right direction. With the time he had left, he lingered in his mate's dreams for another hour, trying to see if he could find some kind of clue as to where she was, but his search was unrewarding. With Aziza wanting him to stay away, the barrier keeping him out of her dreams was becoming stronger and speedily reconstructing. He wondered if Michael was responsible for this._

 _Unless summoned or if a Demon spotted his Vessel, Lucifer wouldn't know where Sam Winchester was. Aziza wouldn't call him either, though he pondered if she remembered how to. She didn't need to pray to him or summon him. Her very being, the hybrid of a_ _ *****_ _Seraphim and a Human Soul, would beckon him and he would instantly answer her call._

 _Lucifer's time was just about out, Aziza's once colorfully imaginative dreamland was turning into nothing more than a blank, black space. Reluctantly, he exited the growing abyss and he could feel his Grace's longing for the connection with his mate intensify. Gone was the dull throbbing. He felt as though something was tearing his Grace to pieces strand by strand._

 _Only his mate could domesticate the agony he felt._

 **SN*SN*SN*SN***

Sam just shuffled out of the bathroom after using the toilet and brushing his teeth. He typically didn't puke when he got drunk, but even while he was in a booze-induced sleep, the taste of stale vomit and hot lunchmeat was in his mouth and he couldn't stand it. When he woke up, he was in Aziza's bed, but she wasn't in her room, so he went looking for her.

The other bathroom light wasn't on, Dean's bedroom door was shut and there weren't any sounds coming from the mini living room, so he knew she wasn't upstairs. Descending the stairs, Sam thought about going into the basement, but thought against it. Whenever Aziza grabbed a book from the library, she usually brought it upstairs and into the kitchen just in case she wanted to perform a spell. With that in mind, he headed towards the kitchen and saw the light was on.

Sitting at the table was the missing blonde and she had a bowl in front of her. Her hair was still pulled back into a wavy ponytail with a few untamed strands falling around her face and she was wearing a white shirt with black spots or lines on it to make a Panda's face. The shirt looked like it shrunk in the wash though; it came to the bottom of her ribcage to expose her flat stomach and navel. Covering her legs were a pair of baby-blue shorts with puffy clouds printed on them and her feet were tucked into black socks with colorful cats.

Sam smirked at Aziza's appearance. She always looked perfectly cute to him. He stepped into the light and she turned to him, smiling. He sat across from her and pointed to the bowl. **"Midnight snack?"**

 **"Cream of Wheat usually helps me get back to sleep after I have a nightmare. Gabe says it knocks me out when I'm a baby."** She told him, a smile still lingering on her lips. **"Are you feeling okay, Mr. I-Wanna-Drink-Two-Six-Packs-of-Beer-with-My-Brother?"**

All Sam could do was chuckle, he deserved that. When he and Dean went to a bar for a night of drinking, Sam usually took it upon himself to stay sober enough to get them back to their motel room. They haven't been drinking as much as they used to since they moved in with Aziza and Sam knew his tolerance level had diminished in that time.

 **"You said you had a bad dream. Wanna talk about it?"** Sam offered, lending an ear to her. He watched as Aziza's expression fell to an almost stoic one and he frowned when she grabbed her bowl to take it to the sink without a word. **"Zia, you okay?"**

 **"A certain Archangel decided to jump in my dream."** She mumbled.

 **"Lucifer?"** Sam asked, dreading her answer.

He wasn't sure, but he had a strong feeling that Michael wasn't one to use dreams to get what he wanted. If he did, he'd be driving Dean crazy every night until he got the older Hunter's consent. It could've been Raphael too. He presumed the fourth Archangel was still alive and kicking, but nobody seemed to know what his motives were. He could be helping Michael or simply waiting for his brothers to kill each other to eliminate the competition.

Unfortunately, Aziza nodded, just like he expected her to, and Sam's frown threatened to twitch into a scowl due to him not being able to help her. How could he protect her in her dreams? **"What did he do?"**

Aziza turned to face him then, fiddling with the short hem of her shirt. He was bluntly reminded of the night she called him in Arizona, frantically chattering about the Werewolf she managed to keep chained in her kitchen. When Dean told her that there was no nonlethal way to deal with a pureblood Werewolf, she'd started tampering with her shirt just like she was doing now.

With a world of concern in his eyes, Sam stood and went to Aziza, putting his hands on her shoulders. She didn't look up at him, but she did glance to the bond they shared. Gabriel didn't need to gift her with his angelic sight for her to see the bond, she just had to 'switch' her eyes. Aziza had control of how she saw things. She could see Angels, Ghosts, Reapers, Souls and the horrifying faces of Demons with one set of eyes or she could simply go through life seeing normal faces, just like Humans did.

Looking at the bond she shared with Sam made Aziza feel secure. If that bond was there, Sam was there and that meant she was safe because of him. She and Sam sat at the table again and Sam held his hands palms up on the wooden surface. Aziza placed her hands in his and felt him give her mitts a tender squeeze. To Aziza, that motion had said _'It's okay, I'm here'_ and she nodded to herself, reassured.

 **"He talked to me. I just remember him asking why I was afraid of him, then I started yelling and I woke up."** She told Sam what she remembered, her eyes on their combined hands, but she was a bit disappointed with herself. Usually, she could remember her dreams from the second she went to sleep to when she woke up, but she only remembered a fragment of this one. Her brows furrowed in concern and her azure orbs shot up to Sam's, letting him see the oceans of worry they held. **"What if he finds us, Sam? What he'll do to you or Dean or Cas or Gabe…"**

 **"That's not gonna happen, nothing bad is gonna happen to us. I know it's scary and you're worried, but he won't get to you. I won't let him."** Sam locked eyes with her as he said this, wanting her to hear and see his seriousness and determination to keep her safe. She wanted to believe him, Sam knew she did and he could see it in her eyes, but she couldn't. She was scared and after what happened, she had every right to be, but it was now Sam's job as her boyfriend to take away her fear. **"Lucifer was in my dreams a few times."** He admitted and Aziza looked like she couldn't believe the words he just said, but he nodded in affirmation. **"He used someone that meant a lot to me to try and get me to tell him where I was. And if I didn't realize what was happening…I probably would've…just to keep seeing her."**

 **"Did he take her away from you?"** Aziza softly questioned. She almost seemed too timid to ask.

 **"No…well, not directly. I lost Jess a long time ago to Azazel, a Demon, the same one that made me and my Soul impure and killed my Mom and my Dad sold his Soul to in exchange for Dean's life."**

Aziza was quiet for a beat, brows furrowed as she examined Sam's words. Gabriel never told her about Azazel and his siblings, she had no idea about the Princes of Hell, so in her mind, this fiend that Sam just named was just another black-eyed Demon that spread evil and tormented Humans. Unknown to Aziza and Gabriel, Azazel knew of his Father's Soulmate. If Dean hadn't killed the Prince those few years ago, Aziza would be in his custody. She would be sitting on the throne in Hell as its Queen and he would've raised her to idolize Lucifer, would've used her in an attempt to get Sam to consent to Lucifer's possession.

 **"The Demon...Azazel, made your Soul impure?"** She asked and Sam nodded. His eyes left her blue ones and settled on their hands. He couldn't look at her as he explained his impurity.

 **"When I was a baby, he came into my nursery and fed me his blood. My Mom tried to stop him and he burned her on the ceiling. He was doing the same thing to the babies of people he made deals with and when we all grew up, he trapped us in an abandoned town. He told us that the last one standing was _the_ Special Child and tried to make us kill each other." ** Sam felt like everything about him was tainted and Aziza was just so...pure. He didn't want to stain her with his filth and corruption which was one reason why he tried to put some space between them. When he was a teenager, things were different because he barely had a sense of what was right or wrong, but he was an adult again and he felt like he was a whole world of wrong that would eventually taint Aziza. That was the last thing he wanted, so for her sake, he tried to back off, but it seemed like something was pushing him towards her and no matter how much he tried to fight it, he had a feeling he'd always end up right back where he started. Swooning over a gorgeous blonde with dazzling azure eyes. Now that they were bonded, Sam felt like she deserved to know about what happened to him. He glanced up at Aziza and saw that there was a bit of anxiousness creeping up in her eyes. He registered that look and explained, **"I didn't kill any of them, but I was the last one standing and that made me…the Boy King."**

Words couldn't express how much Sam loathed that title the Demons bestowed upon him. He despised the appellation more than he hated being called a freak. He didn't care if he was destined to be Lucifer's Vessel, he _was not_ going to be the leader of a demonic army. He was going to save the world with his brother and if he could, he was going to kill Lucifer just to ensure the Fallen Archangel never got close to Aziza.

Aziza's expression shifted from apprehensiveness to relief when Sam told her that he never barbarically killed any of Azazel's Special Children. She's never heard of a Demon feeding its blood to anyone either, but obviously, that was a thing they did. She watched as Sam's eyes dropped from hers again and her heart was shouting at her to make him feel better because he thought he was tainted, impure. Aziza thought differently.

Souls were the most unique thing in the world and no two were alike, not even those of twins shared a similarity. Aziza's seen a countless amount of Souls, but Sam's was one she'd never forget. His didn't exactly have a shape like Dean's did, but it was just…a light. It was warm and loving and made her think of a little kitten wrapped in a blanket. His Soul is what initially drew her to him, why she felt so comfortable and protected around him.

She wanted to tell Sam that even now, his Soul was shining and glorious, but she refrained. He may have told her that he thought she was normal, regardless of the fact that she was destined to bond with an Archangel or that she had to be of Heaven's creation, but it was hard for her to believe him when she didn't _feel_ normal. She'd never feel normal and she felt like telling Sam that she could look at his Soul whenever she pleased would freak him out.

 **"I'm sorry, Sam. I'm blubbering about a stupid dream and you've got an entire life's worth of problems on your mind."** She cooed to the tall brunet, closing both her hands around one of his.

Sam eyes slowly but surely lifted to meet hers. He saw her concern for him and his life; she probably worried about him now. He smiled and shook his head, mutely telling her that she didn't have to apologize for anything that's happened to him.

 **"I've had time to make peace with it. You're still a little new to this whole…depressing, loss thing."** Sam smirked when Aziza rolled her eyes, but smiled at him. Compared to he and his brother's lives, Aziza's was a safe one. She went hunting Demons, but that wasn't exactly dangerous because she knew how to exorcise them and Gabriel kept any other monsters away from her. Her life wasn't riddled with pain and depression and smothering grief. She didn't have to suffer and that was one of the things Sam cherished about her. Aziza was someone in his life who didn't have to constantly sacrifice her happiness for the greater good. She could do whatever she wanted and nothing could stop her; there were no consequences for her actions. **"I told you about Jess and my parents to let you know that it's okay. There's a lot of scary crap in this world and Lucifer's higher up on the fear scale, but he can't do anything to you because y** **ou've got a tiny army protecting you, Zia. Gabriel's at the front of the line with Cas, then Dean and me, then** **Eben** **, Panos _and_ ****Zur** **. If anything wants to get you, they'll have to get through all of us first."**

Sam chuckled and Aziza giggled with him. **"That sounds like an _another_ Apocalypse." ** When their smiles eased away, Aziza looked at him with such tranquility and reassurance in her eyes that Sam felt like he had accomplished the greatest feat in the world. She got up from the table and came to his side to kiss him on the cheek. **"Thanks, Sam."**

Sam escorted Aziza to her bedroom and told her that she could always talk to him. Before he went to his own room, she asked if he could spend the night with her and Sam would be a fool to refuse that offer. He agreed, but took a quick shower to ensure he didn't smell like a drunk and changed into a pair of boxers and a plain t-shirt. When he went into Aziza's room, she was just crawling into bed. He got in with her and commented that her blankets felt much softer than his, which made her erupt in a giggling fit. She told him everything he did when he was drunk and Sam mentally slapped himself for his intoxicated actions. She clicked the lights off and her room was plunged into darkness, but the moonlight made the glass on the chandelier sparkle in the dark.

This was part of the scenario Sam decided on and planned out. He wanted to tell Aziza about how Azazel killed his mother and the Demon Blood as a way for her to opt out of their relationship. He felt like he had a lot of baggage and he didn't want her to feel like she had to deal with his problems because she didn't. But Aziza seemed to be accepting of anything he could throw at her, good, bad or horrible, and he was grateful for her tolerance.

If she wasn't repelled by him telling her that a Demon made him drink its blood, she wouldn't be appalled by him telling her that he released Lucifer. He was going to give her a minute to take in his impurity and tomorrow would be the day he disclosed his biggest blunder.

Tomorrow could be the day that Aziza decided that she had enough of Sam and his problems, so he held her close and savored the feeling of her for one more night.

* * *

 ***** Hey, peeps. This is kinda important.  
I wanted to give some backstory on my version of a Seraphim in this little tale. In this story, the hierarchy of Heaven goes like this:

 **God**  
Seraphim  
Archangels  
Angels  
Putti/Cherubs  
Cupids

Before God created His Archangels, the Seraphim were His only defense against the Darkness. They could be titled as his daughters because they were all considered female and resembled Amara.

The Seraphim would die after defending themselves from the Darkness and God would have to create more each time, so He studied them in hopes of figuring out their flaw. He realized that their power was unstable and had to be balanced out with another being just as or more omnipotent than themselves. That's when He got started on the Archangels. The plan was to have an Archangel paired with every Seraphim to keep them stable by bonding and to let his children experience love.

By the time the Darkness was locked away, the Seraphim were long extinct and there were no records of them, except for God's memory.  
After Michael cast Lucifer out of Heaven for rebelling, God dug up His blueprint for the Seraphim, so it could have enough divine power to handle two Archangels, and infused it with a Human Soul, to give it a sense of benevolence. He called upon the Cupids to make the being irresistible to Lucifer and something that Michael could feel affable love towards. The conception of the Soulmate was a 'top secret project' and God encrypted the Cupids' memories after she was created.

Nothing else in all of creation has any direct connection to a Seraphim. The Soulmate is truly one of a kind and not one being in Heaven, not even Metatron, has any knowledge of the Seraphim.

Technically speaking, Aziza is more powerful than _all_ of the Archangels, but she needs one of them to keep her stable.

I had to write in what Aziza's life force was to let you guys know why she's so important, but Gabriel, Lucifer and Michael have zero knowledge that she's basically the last Seraphim in existence.

I hope that wasn't confusing, but PM me if you have questions.  
Had to cut this long chapter in half, so the next part will be up soon. I recently got a job, so if I'm randomly inactive, it's because I'm too tired to write.

❤️Thanks so much for all those Reviews, Faves and Follows. They're much appreciated❤️


	19. Skeletons Come to Life in My Closet

Everyone had gone out on a shopping trip today. With Aziza being adult-sized now, she desperately needed clothes that properly fit her because most of her shirts were crop-tops now.

Dean drove them to Main Street and just like when they'd go grocery shopping, the brothers split off together while Castiel stuck to the blonde. Aziza showed him what each section within the clothing store held and she figured out his sizes. Once they picked the clothes they liked, Cas and Aziza met up with the brothers in the shoe section. They found Dean and Sam jogging up and down the aisle in combat boots, testing them. After figuring out his shoe size by using a Brannock device, Cas ventured off to find shoes he liked and Aziza did the same. When the Angel returned, he had a box of low-top sneakers, black Derbys and comfy moccasin slippers.

After checking out and heading back home, Aziza taught Cas how to fold his clothes and where to put them. She heard Dean call for her and left the Angel's bedroom to go across the hall to Dean's. He already had his new clothes folded and in his trunk.

Dean was sitting on his bed and he was looking at a picture, smiling at it. He looked to the door and found Aziza there. He set the picture on his nightstand and pulled a folded garment from behind him. **"One of your dresses got bagged with my stuff."**

As he was handing her the dress, her eyes went to the photo on his nightstand.

 **"Who's the babe? She's gorgeous."** Aziza smiled and Dean grinned at her words. He gave her the picture to look at and pat the spot on his bed next to him. She was still admiring the photo, but she sat next to him. **"Please tell me you have a secret life and she's your super-awesome wife who's pregnant with your first child."**

 **"That sounds like a lot of work."** He chuckled from beside her. **"And incest was never really my thing."**

Aziza looked at him, brows slightly furrowed in confusion. **"You have a sister?"**

Dean shook his head and pointed to the woman in the photo. **"This is Mary Winchester and me a few months before Sammy was born."**

 **"Sam mentioned her last night. I knew you guys got your looks from somewhere, but your Mom's a freaking Goddess."**

 **"What were you and Sam doing last night?"** Dean's eyebrows were raised in interest, wanting explicit details about what she and his little brother were doing the night before.

 **"I had a nightmare and we talked. He calmed me down."** She explained, but that just made a sly smirk cross Dean's face.

 **"Did he put you to bed too?"** Dean ribbed and Aziza rolled her eyes at his perverted mind, smiling.

Dean decided that he wanted to show her some more photos, so he grabbed them from his clothes trunk and presented them to Aziza. Her smile never faded as she looked at each photo and asked Dean what was happening when the shot was taken. She laughed when she saw the picture of Sam sleeping in the Impala with a plastic spoon in his mouth. She already knew that Dean was responsible for it.

Aziza flipped to the next picture and instantly recognized the young blonde as Sam and Dean's mother, but she wasn't alone in this shot. She didn't have a little boy with her either. A man was with Mary, smiling at her like she meant the world to him. He was almost a foot taller than Mary, had green eyes a shade or two off from Dean's emerald ones and black hair.

She knew who that was.

 **"Why's your Mom with Misha?"** Aziza asked Dean, her head tilting to the side.

Dean just recognized the gesture as something Castiel did a lot when he was confused and he saw Gabriel do it too, the day everyone discovered the bond between Sam and Aziza. He dubbed it the 'Angel Tilt' and smirked to himself, but he replayed her question in his mind.

 **"What's a Misha?"**

 **"Misha is my friend. He's not an imaginary friend, but he's not exactly real either."** Aziza confused herself a little with what she just said, so Dean couldn't have understood it either. **"I made him with that retreat I go to when I need to chill. He's always there when I go, so I guess he lives there."**

Dean looked at the picture of his young parents and realized she must've mistaken his father for her Real-Imaginary friend. **"Well, this is John Winchester. He's our Dad and he's dead."**

Aziza balked, having been thrown into the deepest, darkest depth of confusion. How could Misha be Sam and Dean's father if he wasn't, technically, a real person? He couldn't be able to leave that retreat. It wasn't possible. Just like Zeallegon, the creatures she created were strictly bound to her fantasy world and it's not like there was a door they could just waltz out of. And if Misha had found a way to leave her retreat, how could he have been there the day she grew up when Dean said that their father was dead? None of this made sense and her brain was overloading with questions.

 _"Michael...little Heaven...he made it...closer to you...your 'Misha'...deceiving...lying to you...another form..."_

Those words sounded like someone just whispered them in her ear and Aziza flinched, jumping to her feet. The photos she was holding were fluttering in the air, but they all managed to land on the bed and she was left clutching the picture of Dean's young parents. She thought back to just yesterday when she had that dream and who was in it, how Sam had comforted her the rest of the night.

 **"Zia?"** Dean called her, his hand reaching out to touch her arm. When she felt his skin touch hers, she jumped and Dean jerked his hands back to raise them in a nonthreatening gesture. Aziza's heart was hammering in her chest and everything within her was telling her to run to Sam, but she couldn't move. **"Hey, easy. What's going on with you?"**

 **"He said…"** She mumbled, remembering all to well what Lucifer had revealed to her when he was lurking in her dream. She looked at Dean, seeing the concern in his eyes. **"I-I need to talk to Gabriel."**

Dean was practically carrying Aziza downstairs and into the living room for fear that she'd faint. He didn't understand how a picture of his Dad and her mistaking him for someone else could make her so afraid. Once Aziza was settled on the couch, Dean called for his brother and Sam came up from the library with Castiel behind him. Sam immediately sat next to Aziza and presented his hands to her, just like he did in the kitchen the night before, and she took them in a tight grip. He asked her what was wrong, because she looked paler than a ghost, and she repeated that she needed to talk to Gabriel about her dream.

Castiel disappeared for a brief moment, then returned and Gabriel was with him.

 **"What's wrong?"** The Archangel asked, but nobody answered him. Cas didn't tell him why he needed to come to the cabin, but he suspected Aziza was having another emotional episode. He looked to Dean next, but the elder Hunter hasn't taken his eyes off Aziza and he looked to her. Her head was down, but her Azure eyes peeked up at him. **"Zi-Zi, what's going on?"**

Aziza's eyes shot down again. She was ashamed of herself. There was nothing she couldn't tell Gabriel, yet she kept a secret from him and the guilt was making her stomach churn. Lucifer had tried to kill her beloved Archangel and she didn't tell him about her dream, knowing it was important for him to know.

 **"Lucifer was in her dream last night."** Sam enlightened the third Archangel without taking his eyes off the blonde. Dean and Cas looked surprised to hear that, but Gabriel didn't.

 **"Was it a memory?"** He asked and Sam remained silent, not having the answer this time. Aziza still refused to look at Gabriel, but she shook her head.

Gabriel and Aziza have been through this before. She'd sometimes have dreams of Michael and Lucifer, but they were actually memories from her past lives. Gabriel would watch over her while she slept and as soon as she woke up, she'd tell him about her dream before she forgot it. He'd compare what she dreamt to what the Cupids have told him and knew that she'd been dreaming of something she experienced lifetimes ago.

By now, Aziza knew when she was dreaming of a memory because it was like watching a movie from the actress' point of view. She could do whatever she wanted, but the people in her dreams would 'follow the script', so to speak. They wouldn't say or do anything other than what they did on that day.

But she knew that her dream was not a memory and that meant Lucifer, being the serpent that he was, had found a way to get inside her mind. Gabriel suspected that his brother had outside sources to help him with that because not even Michael could enter his Soulmate's dreams, not that he ever has.

 **"Is he gonna be able to find her?"** Sam asked Gabriel. He stayed in his thoughts for another moment, then shook his head.

 **"No, not with the bracelet and the warding on the cabin."**

 **"How did he get in her dreams in the first place?"** Dean spoke up.

 **"She died."** Gabriel said as if it were obvious, but the look on the brothers' faces said otherwise. He couldn't even roll his eyes or call them dimwits because he was so serious. **"Aziza was created with a connection to my brothers. When she dies, it doesn't matter if she's wearing my bracelet or in another dimension, Michael and Lucifer know and while she's growing up, the barrier keeping them from entering her dreams has to rebuild itself."**

When Gabriel had initially got to work on Aziza's bracelet, he knew he'd have to make it so that Angels couldn't interfere with her dreams because his family was known for invading a Human's dreams, especially Lucifer. He suspected that was how his older brother had gotten his current Vessel's consent.

But because Aziza was Michael and Lucifer's Soulmate, there was only so much Gabriel could do to keep them away. Regardless of all the warding in the universe, there was always a connection between her and them. He suspected that his Father was responsible for the barrier in her dreams because it wasn't his doing. He had a lot of things to thank his Father for equipping Aziza with because if He didn't, Michael and Lucifer surely would've found Aziza a long time ago.

 **"…this is all my fault."** A quiet voice mumbled and Gabriel looked to Aziza, confused. She picked her head up and braced himself for the sight of her crying, but there were no tears running down her cheeks. She saw the bafflement on her Archangel's face and gravely elucidated, **"The Apocalypse, Gabe.** **If the world ends, it's gonna be** ** _my fault_** **. I'm responsible for this."**

 **"We've been over this a trillion times, Zi-Zi."** Gabriel sighed as she cleared up the confusion. **"Whatever happens between Michael and Lucifer is not your fault. You didn't make them hate each other and you are not responsible for whatever stupid things they decide to do."**

Aziza held onto Sam's hand for another second, then she released his mitt and stood. With all the seriousness in the world, she looked Gabriel in the eyes and declared, **"Bullshit."**

Gabriel's brows twitched upwards in surprise. Hearing Aziza curse like that was like hearing a Nun proudly boasting about fornicating with Satanists and being pregnant with the Antichrist.

Cas, Sam and Dean had the same expressions that Gabriel did. They knew the subtle profanities Aziza said and they knew that she was typically not so somber. Dean and Cas looked out the nearest window to check on the weather, but they saw no angry clouds or tornadic winds.

Sam knew he had to fess up _now_. He finally worked out a plan for how he'd tell Aziza that he released Lucifer and he wanted to confess in a more private setting, but he couldn't keep his mouth shut another second. He would not allow her to feel like she was responsible for his mistake.

 **"I broke the last Seal and released Lucifer from the Cage."** Sam announced, standing. There it was, finally out in the open. Sam thought he'd feel like a weight was lifted from his shoulders when he admitted this to her, but he felt like he was sinking in a puddle of wet concrete. His admission made Aziza and Gabriel look at him. She seemed skeptical of his words, but Gabriel didn't because he knew the truth. Sam held Aziza's eyes and slowly nodded. **"I trusted a Demon over family and popped the top to his box, so if anyone's to blame for anything he does or the Apocalypse-"**

 **"It's me."** Dean interrupted, everyone's eyes falling on him. He knew Sam was going to, so he simply raised a hand to tell his brother not to intervene. **"The first Seal shall be broken when a righteous man sheds blood in Hell. As he breaks, so shall it break."** He staidly repeated Alastair's words from that day he tortured the very Demon that taught him the art of inflicting pain. **"The Demons planned for our Dad to be the one to break the first Seal, but I got sent to Hell and lasted 40 years before I couldn't take it anymore. If I wouldn't have sold my Soul and let Sam…we wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for me, so if Armageddon happens, blame this guy."**

Dean couldn't even say how if he would've let Sam die that day he'd gotten stabbed by Jake Talley, when Azazel rounded up all his Special Children for a death-match, Lucifer would still be locked away and they wouldn't be here with Aziza right now. When he thought about it, he realized that he wouldn't have ever met Castiel or Gabriel or even knew Angels and Archangels really existed if he hadn't sold his Soul.

Dean wondered where he'd be if he had let Sam die that day, but it was hard for him to even imagine a future without his little brother in it. He supposed he would've kept hunting until he found Azazel and killed the bastard. Jake would've been next since he was the one who killed Sammy. After that, Dean wouldn't know how to continue. He'd have avenged his entire family by finally killing the Demon that took his parents and brother away from him, but he would have no idea how to continue.

 **"Dean, you sold your Soul for me and I'd do the same thing for you in a heartbeat."** Sam spoke to his brother in that special tone that was reserved for when Dean allowed Sam to see him in a vulnerable state, when the self-loathing was too much to handle at once, eyes softer than warmed butter.

 **"That's why we're in this mess in the first place."** Gabriel snarked.

 **"We're in this mess because your brothers are homicidal assholes who need Family Counseling and God's a deadbeat dick, so keep your goddamn mouth shut."** Dean snapped at the Archangel, uncaring of Gabriel's feelings or his narrowed eyes. He did feel a _tiny_ pang of guilt because he was insulting Castiel's maker too, but he'd apologize later.

 **"You were being** ** _tortured_** **in** ** _Hell_** **for** ** _40 years,_** **Dean** **. The Pit is supposed to break people."** Sam pulled his brother's attention back to him. **"If I were in your place, I would've given up just like you did, probably sooner, and there's nothing wrong with that. You're only Human."**

Sam knew his brother had a tendency to think of himself as a soldier or just a weapon of destruction waiting to be fired, but that was far from the case. Dean was smart, brave and he when he cared about someone, he'd go through Hell and high water for them without a shred of concern for himself because his heart was almost, if not as, big as Aziza's. To Sam, his big brother was a goddamn superhero, but even heroes need someone to save them every now and then.

 **"How can you tell me this isn't my fault?"** Aziza questioned Gabriel, her tone almost accusing. **"Had I let Michael kill Lucifer all those years ago, Lucifer never would've sent Azazel to gather his Special Children and Mary never wouldn't have died and Sam wouldn't think his Soul's impure and their Dad would still be alive and Dean wouldn't have gone to** ** _Hell_** **for** ** _40 years_** **! They could've had a normal life, but it's my fault they didn't! It's my fault their family got taken away from them!"**

Along with her reddening face, the tears had finally made an appearance, filling Aziza's azure eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Gabriel, Sam and Dean all went to say something to her at once, but stopped when their words collided with one another. Sam and Dean took a small step back, giving the Archangel the floor to talk.

 **"Aziza, you can't hold yourself responsible for any of that."** Gabe told Aziza and she looked like she wanted to protest, but he continued before she could. **"You thought you could help him, there's nothing wrong with that."**

 **"Stop denying it, Gabriel!"** She exploded like a mini volcano erupting. The brothers were about to reinsert themselves into the situation, but a spontaneous clash of thunder advised them not to add their two-cents. **"I had a chance to end this before it started, but I didn't and the entire Human race is gonna suffer because of my mistake!"**

 **"Aziza-"** Gabe tried, but she turned around and ran up the stairs. Everyone heard her bedroom door slam shut and Gabriel sighed. **"I need a drink."**

 **"You're not gonna go talk to her?"** Sam interrogated as Gabriel claimed his spot in the armchair and snapped his fingers. Unlike before, a barrel of bourbon didn't appear near him. Instead, a bottle of Ţuică appeared on the end table and there was a straw poking out of it. Gabriel grabbed the bottle and started sipping, not wincing or stopping to cough as the alcohol entered his body.

 **"What could I possibly say to make her feel better, Sam?"** Gabe answered after taking a few sips. Sitting in that chair like he was, Gabriel looked like a worn-out Father that had to wrangle his 10 kids everyday. **"I know I can't help her, so I'm not going to waste time trying to and getting her more upset. She doesn't need to hear anything from me. And if I were you, I wouldn't try talking to her just yet either."**

Sam knew Gabriel was right, even if he didn't want to admit it. He wanted to go upstairs and console Aziza, but he had a feeling he'd get yelled at too.

When a few beats of silence passed and it was clear that nobody was going to try to remedy the situation, Dean announced, **"Alright, I'm going up there."**

 **"Are you sure?"** Sam questioned, almost bewildered by what his brother wanted to do. **  
**

 **"Any of you gotta better idea?"** Dean polled, looking at Cas and Gabriel to see if they'd pipe up. Gabe was still sipping his alcohol and Cas was looking out the window, probably monitoring the weather. He turned back to his little brother and shrugged in a way to say that he was the only option they had. **"She's just scared kid who feels like the welfare of Heaven, Hell** ** _and_** **Earth are on her shoulders. Somebody's gotta hold her hand and tell her it's gonna be okay."**

 **"And if it's not?"** Gabe questioned with the straw between his teeth. He seemed to be in a despondent mood now.

Dean opened his mouth to say something, but he waved Gabriel off and headed upstairs to Aziza's room. He stood in front of her door and tried to force himself not to be nervous, but he couldn't help it. In his mind, Sam was the only man in the world who knew how to handle crying women without making everything a million times worse than they were.

Gabriel had a point though. With Sam having just admitted to releasing Lucifer, it'd be best if he wasn't the one to talk to his girlfriend. Clearly, Gabriel's been through something like this before and knew he couldn't do anything about it, so he was out of the question. Dean didn't have any faith in Castiel's novice people skills to do more harm than help, even if his heart was in the right place. That left Dean to be the savior.

He wanted to help Aziza more than anything, but he's barely had a few stable relationships in his life and the majority of the women in his past have never cried in front of him. Dean knew that he had to get in there and settle the blonde before her emotions became strong enough to start changing the weather because her Soulmates would come investigating.

 **"Zia?"** He called and knocked on her door twice. **"It's Dean. Can I come in?"**

Dean didn't get an answer, but he knew she was in there and he wasn't going anywhere until he made her feel better. After all she's done for himself and his brother, it was the very least he could do. Before he opened the door, Dean covered his eyes with one hand, just in case she was indecent, and stepped into her room. He relied on his ears to tell him where she was, but the space was silent.

 **"I-If you and Sam wanna…leave…I understand."** Aziza sniffled and Dean turned to where he thought the source was.

Dean took cautious steps to where he thought he heard her, but walked into something hard, most likely being her bed-frame, and he hissed out a curse under his breath. A hand came over his to remove his from his eyes and he found a teary-eyed Aziza at his side. She turned and sat on her bed, swiping the tears from her eyes with her hand. Dean sat next to her and nudged her with his arm. **  
**

 **"I know I'm an old bag of bones, but I remember Sam and I promising to keep you safe. Can't do that if we're not here with you."** He told her with a light smirk, hoping to make her smile. **"And we made plans for Christmas. You're gonna be a cute elf, Sam's gonna be a reindeer and we're gonna stick a tree up Cas' ass, remember?"**

Dean chuckled at his own silliness, but all the lightheartedness he had evaporated when Aziza didn't look at him. She simply hung her head and Dean put his hand on her shoulder.

 **"Zia, you didn't ruin our lives."** He told her with the utmost honesty. His tone almost mimicked Sam's honeyed voice, the one earmarked for calming his girlfriend. **  
**

 **"I'm the reason your parents are gone."** Aziza said and she almost sounded bitter about it. **"Sam thinks his Soul's tainted because of me. You suffered in Hell because of me. All those things happened because I was stupid enough to think I could change the Devil."**

 **"Aziza, you are not stupid for caring about someone and wanting them to do better."** Dean told her sternly, but still gently. When she shook her head, he put both hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him, to look in his eyes and see the sincerity they held. **"Listen to me. _Azazel_ is the reason our parents are gone and why I went to Hell. You had _nothing_ to do with that. It was all Lucifer and his merry band of demonic fans. I know you feel like you could've prevented a bunch of things from happening, but you couldn't have. Before you even existed, Lucifer got booted out of Heaven and he was making Demons to carry out his schemes. There's nothing you or anyone else could've done about that."**

Aziza's lip had started to quiver as Dean told her that she was innocent and he could feel how she was trembling just by his hands being on her shoulders. He pulled her into his chest and felt her wrap her arms around him as she quietly sobbed into his shirt.

 **"It's gonna be okay, kiddo."** Dean promised, stroking her hair. **  
**

* * *

Aziza was back in her retreat, sitting on the swing under the massive Japanese Wisteria tree. Some of the petals had fallen into her hair, but she didn't bother brushing them out. She was cherishing the last moment she'd ever have with this beautiful tree because she'd never see it again.

She would never see this infinite Dandelion field or the hybrid of sunrise and sunset that made the sky or this white dress again. She didn't want to lose this place, but after today, she could not return to it. All she could do is try to grow her own Wisteria tree in Zeallegon and hope it could be as beautiful as the one she was under.

After Dean came into her room and told her that everything would be alright, things were put into perspective for the blonde. She realized that even if Lucifer was the Father of Lies, he was honest with her when he was in her dreams. He told her that his brother was posing as Misha and he knew that this retreat was something he made, not her. She knew he wanted to know where she was, just like Michael did, because they both had the same intentions for her.

When she thought of being used like that, thought of how Michael and Lucifer thought of her as nothing more than a weapon for them to possess and making her hate one of them more than the other was how they wanted to win her over, she was infuriated. She was not a weapon and she was not a plaything. She had feelings and opinions and free goddamn will, but they didn't care because they were homicidal idiots.

That anger is what brought Aziza to this place. She was not the type of person to be fueled by hatred or spite or the thought of hurting anyone, but tonight was different.

She knew Gabriel, Cas, Sam and Dean would tell her not to go to her retreat, so she didn't tell them what she planned to do. After Dean left, she locked her bedroom door and opened a window, waiting for the Rock Guardians to rotate shifts. When they did, she spotted Eben moving back to his traditional position at the waterfall and called him. She asked him to set her down outside and he extended his rocky hand for her to crawl aboard, gently lowering her to the ground. She then commanded him to go to his post and Eben hesitated for a moment, probably wondering why he just helped her sneak out of the house, but proceeded to do as he was told.

Aziza's been waiting for 'Misha' to show up like he usually did after she arrived. She wasn't nervous or scared because she knew he wouldn't do anything to her. He _couldn't_.

 **"Aziza."** A male's voice called from behind her, but she didn't turn around to look at him. After a second, she heard his footsteps on the fallen petals until he was in front of her and he squatted before her. Seeing him now, wearing the skin of Sam and Dean's deceased father, just made little sparks of annoyance flutter through her. She was _outraged_ that he was still playing this game. **"Are you alright?"**

Her eyes twitched as she forced herself not to glare at the Archangel in disguise. She didn't answer him and his dark brows pulled together in concern. **"What are you, _Misha_?"**

 **"I'm your friend."** Aziza had to bite her tongue when he declared that with a proud smile. He _was not_ a friend of hers.

 **"You're a lair."** She corrected him and stood from the swing; Misha stood too, still looking confused. **"And you've been lying to my face for years, _decades."_**

Misha shook his head and reached out to grab her hand. **"I'm not your enemy, Aziza."**

 **"You are, you and your brother."** Aziza pushed his hand away as she pulled the wool from her eyes. For a moment, Misha just stood there and stared at her as if he just turned into a mannequin. Aziza rolled her eyes at him. **"You're here, Lucifer's popping in my dreams. You two just couldn't stay away, could you? Neither of you stopped to consider that I don't want either of you in my life, but you still came and made a place for yourself."**

 **"Lucifer's been in your dreams?"** Michael asked, a threatening look in his eyes at the thought of his brother invading his mate's dreams. Aziza had somehow found out that he was one of her Soulmates and he didn't know how she realized it, but that didn't matter anymore. Her safety was his top concern now. Aziza didn't answer Michael; she simply narrowed her eyes at him with hopes that daggers would manifest and stab in the chest. **"You're not safe on Earth, Aziza. Tell me where you are so I can protect you."**

 **"I trusted you."** She said as if something rancid had just touched her tongue, her face slightly scrunched. **"I came here and thought it was a safe place and I thought you were my friend. I thought you cared about me."**

 **"I do care about you, more than anything."** Michael earnestly avowed. **  
**

 **"You don't care about me enough to stop this stupid fight."** She countered. **"You only 'care' about me because you know you can't fight Lucifer on your own. You only 'care' about me because you need to use me."**

 **"I just want-"**

 **"I don't care what you want!"** She snapped at him, but it wasn't her boiling anger that made Michael nervous. He was used to seeing her upset and he was accustomed to being the one to calm her down. No, what made him anxious was the sky. The sun he created had silently exploded, though Aziza didn't see it because it was positioned behind her, and now the sky was painted an ominous carnelian-red. The petals on the Wisteria tree had stopped falling and under their feet, the endless field of Dandelions slowly began to wilt and wither. Michael made this little Heaven as a place for her to unwind and never in any of her lives have her emotions been able to affect the environment. **"You don't care that I don't want you or your brother in my life, so I don't give a damn about anything you want!"**

Michael took a step away from her, but he locked eyes with her and hoped she could see the tenderness in his currently green orbs. **"Aziza, please settle down."** He gently pleaded.

 **"Why? Are you afraid that I'll kill you?"**

 **"You'd never kill me."** Michael declared seriously. He may have sounded arrogant, but he truly believed that Aziza could never end his celestial existence.

Michael was _honored_ to be the first being Aziza has ever bonded with and he knew that she remembered that, but his mate was not a murderer. She would never kill anything, not a Human or an animal or an Angel. She loathed Demons, just as anyone should, and getting rid of them was not considered murder in his eyes. It was pest control. Michael figured that Aziza was momentously livid at the moment, and she had every right to be.

 **"If I ever see you again, I will kill you, _Michael_. ****"** The blonde corrected the first Archangel. Her azure eyes were as hard as an iceberg, but a billion times colder. **"I will use every ounce of power I have to destroy you and I'll die because of it, but it'll be worth it. And after I'm done with you, I'll find Lucifer and I'll kill him too."**

Michael was the first Archangel to ever be created, the eldest of four sons. He was the lionhearted Prince of Warriors and God's biddable son. Michael was not supposed to be afraid of anything, but he was. His greatest fear was failing his Father by not killing Lucifer, but after that, he truly feared his Soulmate.

He feared Aziza because he's never cared about something so passionately. He loved her with everything he had. He would extract his own Grace from his body for her. He would be a one-man army going up against each Prince of Hell _and_ Cain if it meant earning Aziza's trust and love. **  
**

But in this moment, he feared Aziza because he felt like she would stay true to her word and smite he and his brother because she was fed up with them.

Aziza noticed the fear creeping up in Michael's eyes and she hated the mere thought of anyone being afraid of her, but she had to get her point across. She had to let the big badass that was Michael the First Archangel know that she was not going to be played a fool, nor was she going to be used for his own selfish desires. If there was a way for her to talk to Lucifer without giving away her location, she'd have done the same thing to him. She wanted to strike the fear of herself into the two Archangels and she hoped that she'd find Lucifer in her dream tonight.

With a final glare, Aziza turned her back on Michael and began exiting _his_ retreat. She didn't look back to see if he'd already disappeared because she didn't care.

Sacrifices had to be made to prevent the Apocalypse and Aziza realized that. She was willing to sacrifice herself in order to keep the world turning, the Human race intact and her family alive. Sam, Dean, Gabriel and Castiel would not die because of her and she would do everything she could to make sure of it.

She already played her part in the destiny God planned for her centuries ago by bonding with an Archangel. This time around, she was going to make her own destiny.


	20. I've Found Out What it Takes to be a Man

Aziza and Sam were cruising down the streets of Breckenridge in a red Chevrolet Camaro convertible with the top down, the brown and blonde of their hair whooshing behind them. Had he not mentioned it earlier that day, Aziza never would've thought to turn one of her toy RC cars into a real one.

Sam was driving, but one hand was resting on Aziza's lap and both her hands were clutching his. He's noticed that she found some kind of comfort or a sense of tranquility when they held hands, so he was committed to making it a habit.

Aziza knew that Gabriel was keeping an eye out for his brothers and making sure they weren't too close for comfort. Since meeting Lucifer in her dreams and confronting Misha, who was actually Michael under the guise of a young John Winchester, in the retreat he made for her to go to, she hasn't gone to the little Heaven since. Her dreams have also been clear of Archangels, though she suspected Gabriel had something to do with that. She'd taken one of the many grimoires from the library and learned how to create the Seal of Solomon for extra protection. The talisman was currently printed on a rug under her bed in an added attempt to keep any divine beings from entering her dreams.

It's only been a few days since she threatened Michael and the Winchester brothers were looking for another case. In that time, Aziza's constantly been feeling annoyed, almost vexed. She tried to keep her spirits up by performing spells and cooking, but nothing was making her lighten up.

Aziza's mind wasn't fully on her Soulmates though. All she could really focus on was Sam because he's been sticking to her like glue lately. After he revealed that he released Lucifer and Dean tried to convince her that she didn't ruin their lives, she went to Sam and asked him for the entire story. She knew about the Seals that kept Lucifer locked in his Cage, but she didn't think that a Human could break them, only Angels and Demons or even pagan gods.

In all honesty, she wanted to be mad at Sam. Without knowing all the details, she was under the impression that he _wanted_ Lucifer to be walking free. Maybe he thought he could get something out of the Archangel.

Sam told her _everything_. He started with his childhood and progressed through the years with excruciating details. When Aziza heard of the Demon Ruby and how she tricked Sam into thinking he was doing something right when she was actually leading him down the path to release the Fallen Archangel, she couldn't find the nerve to be angry with Sam anymore. She was still upset that Lucifer was out of his Cage, but Ruby and her demonic siblings were the ones to blame...just like Dean told her.

Gabe's informed her that Demons could make plans, but leave them dormant for decades, centuries even, just to wait for the perfect time to carry out their wicked exploits. Sam had just been a pawn to Ruby and she did what Demons did best: she lied and manipulated Sam into doing her bidding.

Then, Sam had gone and shed tears right in front of her. With his cracking voice, he managed to ask her if she hated him and wanted him out of her life. While he was saying that, Aziza could've sworn that she heard another voice of his begging her not to shun or give up on him before he could redeem himself.

Even if it meant she was going crazy, she listened to that voice. She hugged Sam and told him that she didn't want him to go anywhere. He didn't ask her to forgive him, so she didn't.

That same night, Aziza and Sam shared the same bed for the third time. Sleep didn't come easy for the blonde though. She was tossing and turning most of the night because she was worried. She wanted to confront Lucifer and she was hoping he'd be in her dreams, but she was anxious about if Michael would make an appearance too. She knew she could handle either brother one-on-one, but facing them at the same time would surely make her head explode. Sam noticed her restlessness and he wrapped his arms around her as he whispered honeyed words of protection in her ear. He told her that she was safe and reminded her of all the people who were protecting her from Michael and Lucifer. The blonde was lulled to sleep by his words, but Sam didn't allow himself to drift off until he knew she was in a deep sleep that wouldn't be disturbed.

 **"What's Dean been up to?"** Aziza asked Sam as they continued cruising down the streets. **  
**

 **"Not sure. He probably found something for us to do."** Dean told his brother and Aziza that he was leaving while he was walking out the door, so Sam guessed that his brother wanted to grab a newspaper or something. Not long ago, he got a text from Dean with directions to a place and his brother told him to bring Aziza along too. Sam figured Dean was trying to get everyone in a better mood with this spontaneous outing, similar to how he took them all out for ice cream when Aziza was a kid. **"Paint ball sounds like his version of stress relief."**

Aziza smirked. **"Violet, yet safe."**

 **"Exactly."** Sam chuckled before pulling to a stop at a red light. **"You feeling okay?"**

Aziza didn't answer Sam, so he turned to look at her. The blonde's expression was uncharacteristically neutral, but her eyes were almost similar to staring out at a frozen wasteland. Those eyes were that of a Queen who was prepared to go to war for the first time in her eirenic sovereignty.

But behind that coldness, Sam found his girlfriend.

He found her loving warmth and undying charity. He found her golden heart and sweet smile.

Sam wanted to pull the car over and sit there and talk to Aziza until that coldness left her eyes for good. He wanted to pick at her brain until he found the source of what created that iciness, that chilled hatred that seemed to be lingering in her azure orbs. If she had to scream at him, he'd accept her tempestuous shrieks without yelling back. If she decided to hit him, he'd let her and he would accept every strike without trying to stop her. The only thing he would not allow was for her to continue being standoffish when it came to expressing her feelings.

Sam didn't want to push his luck, knowing that he was still teetering on the edge after his confession. So, as much as he wanted to get to the root of Aziza's problem, whatever it may be because there were _quite_ a few he could think of, he decided that the best thing to do was wait for another opportunity. Right now was far from the appropriate time.

Sam gave Aziza's hand a squeeze and for a moment, he saw those darling azure eyes sparkle like stars like they used to do so often. It felt like a lifetime ago that he and Dean found her in that alley back in Tucson. It seemed like back then, everything was perfect. In the past, there was no need to divulge secrets, masks weren't torn off to reveal the ugliness hidden underneath and living in ignorant bliss was a true blessing.

Sam wanted to go back to those early days of knowing Aziza. He wanted to continue thinking that the peculiar blonde he met in an alleyway was named Vega who had a seemingly normal boyfriend named Jude. He knew it was wrong, but Sam would've found some way to stay in Arizona for a while and try to break the couple up just so he could replace Jude. Once they established a solid relationship, Sam would've tried to convince Vega to travel with himself and his brother. He's learned that Hunting was his way of life and he could not get out of it, that was made clear every time he's tried to make a home of his only to have everything end horribly. He knew his home was with Dean and the Impala and he would want Vega to be part of that home.

But, Sam accepted where they stood because of what they've been through and the secrets that have been revealed. He couldn't change anything and he wouldn't feed himself lies by thinking there was something he could do now.

Sam continued riding through Breckenridge and he was keeping an eye out for the Impala as Aziza was because they were in the area where Dean asked them to meet. Aziza was the one to spot the fourth-generation car and it was parked outside of the gates to what looked like an abandoned school. There was a chain-link fence around the building to keep trespassers out and some of the windows were broken, but most of them were boarded up.

Sam and Aziza shared a look, skepticism clear in their eyes. Clearly, this wasn't a place to enjoy a few rounds of paint ball or anything fun, yet Dean asked them to meet here. As they got out of the car and walked to the gate, Sam suggested that Dean found a case and the building had something to do with it. The gates were already unlocked and when they climbed the stairs, the noticed the wad of chains on the ground before the doors.

The inside of the building was mostly bare, save for a few overturned chairs or desks and opened lockers, faded posters or bulletin boards lining the walls of the hallways. Sam and Aziza were trying to open all the classroom doors, but none of them would budge. At the end of the hall were a pair of double doors that likely led to a gymnasium, cafeteria or auditorium. Pushing through the doors, Sam and Aziza found themselves in what looked to be the school's former gymnasium because there were a pair of basketball hoops on either end of the room.

Under the hoop to the right, they spotted two people. The first was a brunette on the floor and she was all curves. She seemed like the kind of woman Dean would go for, but that didn't explain why she looked like she just passed out. A few feet behind her stood a man with his back to the pair, but he was slightly hunched over with his hands gripping clumps of his dark-brown hair. Sam immediately recognized Dean's jacket, a hand-me-down from their father. He told Aziza to wait by the door before he started taking small steps towards Dean.

 **"Dean?"** Sam called, cautiously inching towards his brother. The only response he received was some sort of growl or grunt that made Sam reach for his gun, worried that Dean had found a Ghost case and was possessed. **"Dean, what's going on? What's wrong with you?"**

For another moment, Dean periodically released those strange sounds and Sam was certain that something was wrong, but he had to look at his brother's face, see his eyes, before he could know how to jump into action. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt his brother. Finally, the noise stopped and Dean's hands fell from his hair as he straightened up.

 **"Problem is, big brother's a fighter."** Dean said, his back still to Sam who stopped about 2-feet away from his brother. Dean turned around and smirked at Sam, but before the younger Hunter could relax, emerald eyes turned black and Sam went completely rigid. **"But I'm in control now."**

The Demon flicked its hand to the side and Sam's gun flew out of his grasp. It was advancing on him, taking prowling steps towards the younger Winchester, but Sam yelled over his shoulder, **"Zia, run!"**

Aziza got a glimpse of the black eyes on Dean and knew that somehow, a Demon managed to possess him. That thought alone sent chills down her spine and without another thought, she was running out of the door and down the halls of the condemned building. She looked back to see if Sam was trying to catch up with her, but she didn't see him. Before she could turn around, her arms were locked into a vice grip that made her scream, the touch feeling like acid on her skin.

 **"Not so fast, little rabbit."** The Demon grinned down at her as Aziza fought in its grip. **"So, you're Lucifer's Bride. If the spoiled Prince wants you so badly, he'll do to whatever the King tells him to."**

With no effort at all, the Demon hoisted Aziza up and over its shoulder. It still had a grip on her hands, remembering that her goddamn pinky finger touching its meat suit's face could get it a one-way ticket to his deathbed, as it walked to the front doors and through the gate. It passed the Impala and continued walking until it found its personal 2010 Dodge Ram. By now, Aziza's legs were thrashing in an attempt to kick the Demon and she was, but the impacts didn't hurt the fiend. It pulled the passenger door open and put Aziza inside on her back, still keeping her hands restrained. It reached onto the floor and grabbed a pair of handcuffs with Enochian words carved into the metal, something the King equipped the Demon with. The cuffs were effective at rendering Angel's powerless and his boss had reason to believe that Lucifer's Bride was divine.

The Demon handcuffed Aziza and got into the driver's seat to drive out of the lot. In the backseat, the blonde was trying to free her hands. Once the handcuffs bit into her wrists, Aziza hissed and set her restrained hands on her lap. Brute force wasn't going to get her out of her current predicament, so she decided to think logically. She thought back to what the Demon said when it grabbed her, about the King it was serving.

This Demon couldn't have created when Lucifer declared that Aziza was his Queen and that meant it wasn't a true follower of the Fallen Archangel either. Sometimes, Aziza used that title to her advantage when she was exorcising Demons. She'd act like the Queen they thought she was, make them bow down to their monarch, then she'd fry their asses back to the Inferno they came from. She could only guess that whatever was running Hell at the moment was responsible for dispatching Demons to capture her.

 _'If Lucifer isn't the King of Hell, what is?'_ She thought to herself. Could there possibly be something in this world more sinister than the Archangel who created Demons to take the throne?

As Aziza continued to think, the Demon glanced into the rear-view mirror to look at her. It smirked, thinking she finally gave up and all her fight was gone.

 **"I see why Lucifer wants you so badly.** **Pretty little thing. Soft skin, big blue eyes. Innocent looking, like a saint.** **"** It said loud enough for the blonde's azure eyes to meet its false ones through the mirror. When the Demon saw them narrow at him, it grinned, thinking that was cute. **"You're lucky, you know. The King said Lucifer's Bride is not to be touched. Now, I'll just have to wonder how many of my friends it'd take to break you, make you beg for more. My guess? Just one. A nice one, long and fat to fill your little cunt. Dean here, he's got the perfect tool for the job."** The Demon looked at her through the mirror again, eyes black as it ran its tongue over its lip. It smirked, all sinister and impurity being highlighted in that grin. **"Damn shame."**

Aziza said nothing, simply glared at the Demon with something hotter than hellfire heating her scowl. She refused to entertain the Demon's stupid little game because she knew it wanted her to get mad and annoyed, they fed off that.

Demons were evil and they said evil things. What she just heard wasn't the worst thing a Demon's ever said to her. Of all the times she's encountered a Demon, she was thankful that whatever wanted her made it clear that she was not to be harmed at all. The Demons could talk and try to scare her all they wanted, but they _never_ laid a finger on her for fear of their commander's punishment.

Before today, Aziza was sure that all Demons served Lucifer and they were too afraid of him to disobey his orders when it came to his Soulmate. Now, after meeting this Demon and hearing it name something else its King, she couldn't even guess what was going on in Hell. Maybe something just as evil as Lucifer decided it wanted to be head honcho and there was a demonic election going on.

Aziza shook her head to clear her mind. Now was not the time to think about the politics of Hell and its Demons. She tried pulling her hands out of the metal cuffs again, but her wrists wouldn't slide through and she didn't want to gain another scar. She looked out the window.

They were driving on the elevated road behind all the stores on Main Street now, a large enough distance separating the car from the nearest building that nobody would hear Aziza if she rolled down the window and screamed, so she didn't try to. A lightbulb went off in her head and she crawled to the opposite window to see the large forest that bordered the southwest side of the undisclosed dirt path leading to the cabin.

And she noticed the trees being roughly shoved left or right, some of them being broken down, and birds hysterically flying out of them, as something moved swiftly, but silently through the woods.

Aziza started grinning like a madwoman and the Demon glanced in the mirror to check on her again. It wanted to make her snap before it delivered her to the King, but it noticed her smiling like everything was peaches and cream. **"What are you back there smiling about?"**

The blonde turned to face the Demon, her smirk never fading as she declared, **"Zur's gonna kick your ass."**

 **"And who's that? Your little boyfriend?"** The Demon snorted, obviously unimpressed by her threat.

 **"Try a 70-foot tall Rock Guardian who takes his job way too seriously."**

Aziza glanced out of the window again and saw a shade of red within the trees. She didn't waste another second. She braced for impact behind the driver's seat just as something crashed into the other side of the car. It felt like a semi-truck had just rammed them from the side and the vehicle would've toppled over, but Zur refused to let the truck out of his grip. With a secure hold on the hunk of metal, he yanked it into the forest and brought it up to his face, ready to tear apart whatever supernatural creature was inside.

The Rock guardian was _blazing_ red and it looked like lava would start spewing out of the rock being. If he had the ability to produce sound, Zur would be roaring like a dragon right now.

Zur ripped the entire right side of the truck off as if it was made of aluminum foil and tossed it over his shoulder like he was discarding a candy wrapper. The Demon was clutching what was left of the car, too afraid to move an inch for fear of catching the strange being's attention. Aziza took the opportunity to strike. She threw her arms over the seat and gripped the Demon's head as she shut her eyes to concentrate.

Just like with Rebecka, the Demon threw its head back and released a long scream as black smoke escaped Dean's mouth. The Demon was making a hasty getaway and it was about to maneuver around Zur's shoulder, but the Rock guardian caught the smoke in his rocky hand like it was a fly. Zur tightened his fist and a little pop of light, as if a firecracker had gone off, could barely be seen from the crevices in his stony hand as he destroyed the Demon.

Aziza was checking on Dean, making sure that there was no trace of the Demon in him and ensuring he was okay. Like most people who were possessed, he was rendered unconscious from being exorcised. Aziza sighed in relief. Zur connected the tips of his rocky fingers to the opened side of the truck and tapped the metal to get Aziza's attention. She used his arm as a walkway to exit the trashed vehicle and sat on Zur's sturdy shoulder. With his free hand out, Zur gently shook the car and Dean's unconscious body slid out of the wrecked vehicle and into Zur's awaiting palm.

Like he did before, Zur carelessly flung the remainder of the truck off into the distance, probably to another goddamn State, and with Dean gently clutched in his hands, he turned around to carefully walk to the cabin. After today, Aziza was perfectly fine with never stepping foot outside her home again.

 **SN*SN*SN*SN***

Hours passed after Zur rescued Aziza from being kidnapped by a Demon. After Zur got them back to the cabin and she lugged Dean into his bedroom, she called Sam and told him that she was back at the cabin. It seemed like it only took a millisecond for Sam to arrive home in the Impala and when he did, he ran upstairs, frantically calling for Aziza. He found her in his brother's room with a very concerned looking Castiel at Dean's bedside.

Aziza was concerned for the bruises Sam obtained from fighting the Demon, but the Hunter couldn't care less about them. He pulled Aziza into his chest and hugged her so tightly that he could've squeezed the life out of her. Sam couldn't help it. He was terrified that he lost her. He thought he failed her by not being able to protect her. When that Demon rode off with her, he thought that was the end of everything. He thought the Demon was going to deliver her to Lucifer and the Fallen Archangel was going to find a way to bond with her. Sam truly feared that the end of the world was going to begin later that day.

Since it wasn't, he held onto Aziza for as long as he could. After today, he didn't want to let her out of his sight and he was fully prepared to follow her around like a lost puppy. Aziza voiced her concern towards his injuries and that made Sam, reluctantly, let her go. Her hands came to cup his cheeks and she shut her eyes for a moment to concentrate on healing her boyfriend.

After convincing Castiel to take a breather, Sam stayed in Dean's room and used the handcuffs with Devil's traps on them to shackle his brother to the bed. Next came the waiting game. An hour passed with no movement from Dean, but Sam left his brother for a brief moment when he felt the tremors coming from outside. He found Aziza in the backyard and she was telling Zur off while the Rock Guardian was angrily pacing, making the entire cabin shake. Castiel was spectating, so Sam asked what was going on and the Angel explained how Zur wanted to inform Gabriel on today's events, but Aziza did not. All the Rock Guardians could summon Gabriel and the Archangel would appear in a millisecond if they did because the only time the rocky protectors called for Gabriel was when something was wrong, usually to report when a monster got too close to the cabin or if Aziza was having an emotional breakdown.

Sam didn't question why Aziza didn't want to tell Gabriel about what happened. He told Cas to come get him if anything happened, then returned to his brother's bedside. Another 20 minutes almost passed before Sam heard a groan come from his brother and he tensed, waiting until he could see Dean's eyes. It took a minute, but his brother's eyes opened and Sam saw a familiar pair of emerald eyes, but he only sighed in relief after staring at them for a few seconds.

 **"Geeze…my head feels like a cracked egg."** Dean groaned, trying to sit up. **  
**

 **"Take it slow."** Sam advised and Dean heeded his brother's words, leisurely perching himself up. He went to rub the side of his head, but his right arm refused to move more than an inch or so from the bed. Looking down, Dean saw that he was handcuffed to his bedpost. He looked to Sam for an explanation. **"You were possessed, Dean. Somehow, a Demon got in you and tried to take Aziza. I didn't get a chance to interrogate it before Zur destroyed it."**

Sam watched as Dean seemed to shove whatever headache or migraine he was experiencing out the window and sheer concern, maybe even a hint of fear, overcame his features. **"Is she okay?"**

 **"She's fine. The Demon kidnapped her for a minute, but she got away."** Sam assured before his brows pulled together in perplexity. **"How did that Demon get in you, Dean? We're possession-proof."**

Dean went to lift his right arm, but remembered he couldn't use it at the moment. He used his left hand to tug the neckline of his shirt down, hissing the entire time, until his pec was revealed. Burnt skin remained where his only tattoo used to be. **"That explains it."**

 **"That looks like it hurts."** Sam winced, but Dean shrugged. He's dealt with much worse than some burned skin.

Dean proceeded to tell Sam how he left their home to go into town on a milk run. He had the strangest craving for a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but they were out of milk and he knew who was to blame for that. One night, Castiel found Dean in the kitchen having a midnight snack or cookies and milk. Aziza managed to find a limited-edition pack of Blueberry pie Oreos and Dean couldn't resist. That night, he explained to Cas what a midnight snack was and almost every night since then, Cas has been waiting until midnight to grab a snack.

When Dean was coming out of the market with the milk, he bumped into the curvy cutie from the ice-cream parlor and they talked for a minute. Then, she told him about a party going on tonight and invited him. She convinced him to let her show him the place, which was the abandoned school, knocked him out and Sam knew everything that happened after that.

Sam and Dean knew they had to talk with Aziza, so Sam released his brother and they went to find her. They noticed a mouthwatering smell coming from the kitchen and were lured there, finding Aziza and Cas cooking something; the Angel had a pink apron died around his waist. When she noticed them, she dashed over to give Dean a tight, warm hug and she poured every ounce of affection she had towards him into the embrace.

Dean tried to hide it, but Aziza must've heard his quiet hiss when she put her head on his chest. She pulled back and tugged the neckline of his shirt down without a care. She winced at the sight of his seared skin, having missed it earlier in the car, but before Dean could say he was fine, her hands were covering the injury and she was healing him. When she lifted her hand, the previously charred spot was replaced with a smooth patch of new, tanned skin and the anti-possession tattoo was gone. Dean didn't have a problem with getting inked again, but that was the last thing he was worried about right now.

Aziza told Sam and Dean that dinner was almost ready, then shooed them out of the kitchen before they could try to talk to her about more important matters. A few minutes passed, then she was calling them back into the kitchen. Unlike any other mealtime, the brothers weren't trying to trample over one another to grab a seat. Cas and Aziza brought over plates holding hamburgers, smiley fries and grilled pineapple slices with a cinnamon-honey drizzle.

 **"Beer and burgers makes my boys happy."** Aziza smiled as she placed a beer in front of Dean and Sam, then glasses of kiwi-stawberry smoothies for herself and the Angel. **"Castiel insisted on making yours, Dean."**

 **"I learned the recipe from the Food Network program."** Cas commented with a small smile as he took his seat next to Dean. **  
**

While Aziza, Sam and Cas were starting to dig into their meals and acting like everything was normal, Dean was simply staring at his plate, his arms bordering either side.

He couldn't enjoy any of this. Not the double-decker oozing with cheese that Castiel probably put his heart into or his favorite brand of beer or seeing Aziza's sweet smile, a sight that would never get old. He couldn't tease Sam about the adoring look that would settle itself on his face every time he'd sneak a peek at Aziza or how they were more than likely holding hands under the table like they were still lovesick teenagers. He couldn't laugh at Castiel's deep fascination towards learning more recipes, so he and his brother could have home-cooked meals to take on Hunts instead of eating greasy fast food or how he looked like a housewife wearing that ridiculously cute apron instead of his trench coat.

Worst of all, Dean couldn't appreciate, with the utmost gratitude, this entire domesticated feeling of sitting down at a dinner table under the roof that he considered a home and eating with his loved ones, something he's wanted his entire life. He _finally_ had it, stability, family and love all at once, but he couldn't take delight in a single moment of it.

 **"You haven't touched your burger, Dean**. **"** Castiel noticed and that caught the attention of Sam and Aziza. Worry began to overcome the Angel's expression at the thought of displeasing Dean. **"Did I not make it correctly?"**

When a dog doesn't eat, that's when its owner knows something's really wrong. Dean wasn't a German Shepard anymore, but Sam knew how his brother habitually operated and if Dean Winchester refused to stuff his face with meat or take a few swigs of a cold beer, something was _very_ wrong.

 **"It's fine, Cas…perfect."** Dean's words were stiff, almost like he's practiced saying the phrase too many times. **"Zia, could you wrap this up for me?"**

Dean didn't look up from his plate when he pushed it to the center of the table towards the blonde. Aziza looked to Sam, worried that something was wrong with his brother, and he gave her a shrug in return.

Aziza grabbed the plate and took it to the counter to pack it in a Tupperware container. When she turned around, about to ask Dean if he wanted his dinner in the fridge or the microwave, she was met with the sight of the older Hunter leaving the kitchen. Sam and Castiel simply watched him go, unable to find the words to make him stop.

Cas helplessly looked to Sam and the brunet sighed. **"Just give him a minute."**

Dean was upstairs in the only other bedroom he's had since he was a little kid. The first thing he did was pull his empty duffle bag out from under his bed and he grabbed his sawed-off shotgun from the side of it. Then, he kneeled in front of the trunk holding all his clothes and stuffed them into the bag. At the very bottom of the trunk was a small box Dean's filled with items he had the most sentimental value towards.

Other than John's journal, military badges, dog tags and wedding band, there were pictures in the box. The most notable ones were of a young Dean and Mary and one of Sam sleeping in the Impala with a plastic spoon in his mouth. The rest were shots of he and his brother and a few of Castiel looking as adorably clueless as he always did, but a majority of them had Aziza in them. Dean was like a fly on the wall when he took pictures because nobody ever noticed when he'd snap one. There were dozens of pictures of himself, Sam, Cas and Aziza in this very cabin, when they went camping or from their Demon Hunt in Florida, smiling and together.

Dean didn't go through the box though. He delicately packed it into his duffle, added his other pair of shoes from next to the fireplace and pulled the strap over his shoulder. Before he left, he looked back at his empty room for a moment, appreciating it for a final time, then he shut the door and descended the stairs.

As expected, everyone was waiting in the living room for Dean to return and Sam was the first to get on his feet when he heard his brother getting closer. The first thing he noticed was the duffle bag on his arm.

 **"You going somewhere?"** He questioned.

Dean quietly sighed. **"Sam, we…** _ **I**_ **can't do this."**

He couldn't take this from his brother. Dean's gotten his share of a normal life up until he was 4-years-old and it seemed like that's all he was going to get. Sam deserved to have this normality and happiness in his life.

Sam was clearly puzzled by his brother's cryptic answer. **"You can't do what?"**

 **"** _ **This**_ **."** Dean motioned to the three of them standing there and staring at him like he was finally losing it. **"Time after time, all the evils in this world have used you to get to me or me to get to you. They even used Dad to get to us. And what always happens? Someone dies. And why? Because whatever we have between us—love, family, whatever it is—they are always gonna use it against us. And you know that."**

 **"Dean, it was** _ **one**_ **Demon."** Sam realized where this conversation was going and he was trying to derail it before it got to its stop. **"We'll brand the tattoo onto your skin, Cas will embed anti-possession sigils into your DNA if he has to. You getting possessed** _ **is not**_ **gonna become a regular thing."**

 **"For** _ **you**_ **, it's not gonna be a regular thing. There's a neon 'No Entry' sign hanging over your head, Demons know better than to piss Daddy off by messing with you. But me? I'm open game."** It was how calm and leveled Dean was that had Sam panicking, feeling like he was about to die of suffocation because he knew what Dean was doing: severing himself from something good because he thought that was the best decision. **"They just see me as a pawn to get to you and her and they will find a way to get in me, to use me, until you consent to Lucifer and she bonds with him. We promised that we'd keep her safe and me being around is putting her in danger."**

Sam was rendered silent. He was left staring at Dean, his big brother, parental figure, motivation, superhero and rock all rolled into one person. He knew what life was like without Dean in it and he had to _learn_ how to be happy without his brother. All his life, Dean's been the one telling him not to run away or he would use himself as a shield to keep Sam from walking out the door, but Sam couldn't remember a single tactic to keep his brother in the home they found together.

Sam blinked, the tears he didn't know that filled his eyes wetting his lashes, when Dean hugged him. **"You take care of her, Sammy."**

Dean didn't wait for his brother to hug him back. He released Sam and turned to Aziza and Castiel. The pair looked like they just witnessed a box of kittens being shoved through a meat-grinder. **"Cas, you're the man of the house now. As the oldest, you're in charge of them. Make sure they stay safe, alright? And no babies until Sam puts a ring on her finger."**

Castiel did not answer or crack a smile, but Dean accepted his stoicism anyway. He knew that the Angel would keep a watchful eye over this little family of theirs and he really didn't even have to ask. He took a step closer to Cas, one arm opened in gesture for a parting hug, his fingertips barely brushing against the fabric of one of Castiel's new t-shirts.

And the Angel moved, but for the first time since he's known the Winchester brothers, against the profound bond he shared with the eldest, Castiel stepped _away_ from Dean; his sky-blue eyes glossing with unshed tears as he did.

The Angel might not fully understand Humans, their social customs or their distinct range of emotions, but he knew exactly what he was feeling right now because he's felt it before, when he was in Heaven.

Heartbreak and abandonment.

Dean had asked him to use the buddy system for the rest of their lives and Cas gratefully accepted the offer. Now, that same man was leaving him and asking him to accept it. Castiel would be damned straight to the darkest cavity of Hell if he was going to accept that. He was getting fed up with people claiming to care about and even love him, then deserting him without a care.

With a tight jaw, Cas turned his back on Dean. He stalked out of the living room and upstairs to his bedroom. Even from the lower level, the sound of a door harshly slamming was heard as clear as day.

The expression of incredulity on Dean's face was indescribable. He looked like he was watching something so distressing that it rendered him silent and inert. Mentally speaking, his brain's jaw was dangling open until it detached from its skull, sputtering the word 'Error' before the complex organ caught fire. Emotionally, his heart was throwing a goddamn tantrum by kicking him in the gut, then breaking each and every one of his ribs and using the fragmented shards to stab itself.

Dean nodded to himself, accepting Castiel's reaction. He knew that since they started using the buddy system, because Cas wouldn't accept any other label, his Angel had a better understanding of relationships and in his eyes, Dean must've just told him to fuck off in the most insensitive way possible. His heart was currently trying to climb out of his boneless ribcage and internally strangle him for what he just did, but Dean was used to making the most difficult decisions for the greater good.

And when he looked at the teary-eyed little blonde, he knew for a damn fact that she was the greatest good there was. She was good for Sam, for Castiel and for the entire world.

Dean went to Aziza and pulled her in for a hug, his hand stroking her hair. He hated how he could feel her trembling and knew she was trying to stop crying.

 **"Don't go…"** Her words were muffled in his shirt, but she sniffled and hugged him tighter. Something warm and made purely from love made its way into Dean's body, paralyzing his formerly raging heart. **"I'm okay, Dean. I love you…please stay."**

And those heartfelt words could melt the coldest of hearts, could bring men to their knees and stops wars in an instant. Words like that promised perpetual harmony and security from fear.

But Dean couldn't be reeled in. He knew what needed to be done and he had to do it.

Dean kissed Aziza's head and shut his eyes tight. He refused to shed a single tear right now. With a quiet sigh, he pulled back and managed to pull a pained smile for his favorite girl. **"Stay gold, kiddo."**

Dean couldn't linger a second longer. He could feel Sam's eyes on him, just waiting for the moment Dean looked at him so he could see the puppy-dog eyes on full blast. After witnessing Aziza's heartbroken face, he knew he was going to break if he saw his brother's expression.

Dean turned and headed for the door. Aziza and Sam watched him go, rooted in place by the sadness of their big brother leaving, but Aziza came out of her trance first. She ran after Dean, but by the time she opened the front door, he was already turning the Impala away from the cabin. He didn't look at them in the rear-view mirror as he began driving away.

 **"He's gonna come back, right?"** Aziza's voice cracked with desperation as she turned to Sam. He'd followed her out to watch his brother leave, trails of tears on his cheeks. He turned to Aziza, wishing he didn't have to break this news to her. **"H-He's just taking some t-time to cool off, then he's g-gonna come home and we're gonna be okay…ri-right, Sam?"**

Sam couldn't even speak. If he did, he knew the lump in his throat would release an onslaught of sobbing and he had to be strong for her right now. Aziza still saw the 'I'm sorry' in Sam's glossy eyes and she shook her head, not wanting to believe that Dean was just _gone_ like that.

When she began to cry again, Sam closed the small distance between them and wrapped his arms around her trembling body.

 **"…this is all my fault."** She wept into his shirt, but the words were inaudible to Sam's ears.

She was the reason Dean felt like he had to leave. If she hadn't been so persistent in wanting the Winchesters to stay with her, if she'd had heeded Gabriel's warning when they were in Arizona, Dean would still be with Sam and they would have each other and Castiel.

Aziza felt like she Dean's words of her not ruining his and Sam's lives lost all their value. She just tore apart their family and she couldn't live with that. She made a mistake and it was her responsibility to make it right.


	21. I Am Still Painting Flowers for You

S:5 EP:4 - The End  
I wrote this immediately after the last chapter and couldn't wait to upload it :3

* * *

Dean knew that Sam would pop in on him if he stayed in Colorado, so the first thing he did was put a State between them by driving nonstop for almost 10 hours to Kansas City, Missouri to check into the Century Hotel. With them being so close to their hometown, Dean knew that Sam's first thought was that he might've stopped in Lebanon, Kansas so he had some time before he had to get moving again. Due the Enochian sigils carved into his ribs, he knew that Cas was blind as to where he was unless he prayed to the Angel.

The next thing Dean had to do was get a new cell phone because there were currently 20 missed calls and 15 unanswered texts on the device. Half were from Sam and the other half were from Castiel. He was surprised that he didn't hear Aziza's ringtone before he put the phone on vibrate, but he regrettably thought that she was crying her eyes out over his departure. The only good part about that thought was that she'd be too distraught to think about performing a locating spell to find him.

Dean sat on the edge of the bed and looked at his phone's screen. His finger hovered over the 'Call back' option for Sam's missed calls, but he tossed the phone on the night stand instead. With a sigh, he fell back on the bed and heard the springs squeak under him. He already hated this motel. After living with Aziza and becoming accustomed to those memory foam mattresses, this bed felt like a sack of rocks and chicken feathers.

 **"** **What is it with you Winchesters and these cheap motels?"**

Without thinking, Dean pulled his pistol from the waistband of his jeans, got on his feet and had a steady aim on the source of the voice. He groaned when he saw the Angel leaning on the wall next to the window.

 **"** **I'm not in the mood for your shit, Zachariah. Go away."** He grumbled, plopping down on the uncomfortable mattress. **  
**

 **"** **Always so polite."** The Angel smiled. **"Up and at 'em, champ!"**

Suddenly, Dean's bed was being raised. He gripped the mattress as tight as he could, but the bedframe continued lifting up until Dean slid off it and onto his feet. Right in front of a smiling Zachariah.

 **"** **For the sake of your attention span, I'll cut to the chase."** Zachariah suddenly lost his smirk and looked grim, almost like he was attending a funeral. Dean tried to move, to get away from the divine being or just slug him in the jaw, even thought he knew it would be like punching concrete, but his body refused to obey the commands his brain was sending to them. **"I want you to see something, Dean. I need to show you exactly what's going to happen if you think this whole…separating from the pack thing is going to work, what will happen if you don't embrace your destiny."**

Zachariah reached out to touch Dean and two of his fingers tapped the Hunter on his forehead.

 **SN*SN*SN*SN**

Dean was leaning on a crate in Camp Chitaqua's headquarters, watching. Future Dean had rallied Chuck, Castiel and Risa to announce that the raid he just got back from was bountiful. After five years of searching, he finally found the Colt and he was going to kill the Devil with it.

 **"** **So, that's it?** ** _That's_** **the Colt?"** Risa asked as Future Dean held the gun up for everyone in the room to see. Someone would have to pry it from his dead hands before he let it go.

Future Dean nodded, admiring the very weapon that could end this godforsaken Apocalypse. **"If anything can kill Lucifer, this is it."**

 **"** **Wait, where's Zia?"** Dean questioned his future-self. He watched as Future Castiel shook his head, almost warning him not to open that can of worms, but Dean had just noticed the blonde was missing and had to know what happened to her. **"She and Gabriel can help you…me…us, whatever."**

Everyone in the room looked to Future Dean for a response, Future Cas being the only other person who knew the answer to that question. Future Dean was staring at his past-self with a coldness glazing his inexorable eyes. He understood that Zachariah had flung his past-self into the future so that he could see what the world was like and make the right decisions, but he was not prepared to preach about all the bullshit that's happened since Lucifer started the end of the world.

 **"** **When Cas found me and decided he was sticking around, Aziza stayed with her boyfriend. Considering none of the Three Musketeers are with us now, I think you can fill in the blanks on what happened to them."** Future Dean kept things short and sweet. There was no need to go into detail about history because unless his past-self made some different choices, nobody could change it.

Dean didn't accept that answer and he shook his head. **"That's a steaming pile of bullshit and you know it."**

 **"** **If it is, then why isn't she here? Why the hell hasn't she popped up to help within the three years this shitstorm's been brewing?"** Future Dean insensitively countered, almost sneering at how ignorant to the truth his past-self was. **"She's probably locked up in that fantasy land she made so she doesn't have to watch the world die. And Gabriel's dead,** ** _really_** **dead."**

 **"** **Maybe she's not here because Sam's still alive and they're protecting each other!"** Dean snapped, making everyone in the room flinch at the venom coating his words. **"Maybe she's out there with Gabriel and they're looking for another Vessel for Michael to use to kick Lucifer's ass back to Hell! Maybe if you'd have stopped being such a stubborn jackass for five goddamn minutes, you would've went home where you belong!"**

 **"** **Sam made his choice and I made mine! That's why I'm still here to save the world and he's not!"** Future Dean's bark was just as hostile and chilling. It was like watching a pair of dogs viciously snarl at each other over a piece of meat.

 **"** **You left Sam** ** _and_** **Aziza, your baby brother and kid fucking sister, to fend for themselves with the goddamn Devil luring around topside! You** ** _abandoned_** **them!"**

The room was rendered silent after that scream, only the faint echo of furious words left behind. Dean knew what he just said cut his future-self deep because they stung coming out of his own mouth. He already saw the error of one of his decisions and he knew that when he got back to his own year, he was going home to his family. He shouldn't have ever left them.

 **"** **Back to the plan…"** Risa was the first to speak and the heated glare between the identical men was severed when Future Dean looked at her. **"We've got the Colt and it can kill the Devil. That's great, but do we have anything that can** ** _find_** **him?"**

 **"** **We don't have to find Lucifer. I know where he is. The Demon we caught last week, he was one of the big guy's entourage. He knew."**

Risa raised an eyebrow, clearly not impressed by the source of Future Dean's intel. **"A Demon tells you where Satan's gonna be and you just believe it?"**

A sinister smirk pulled at Future Dean's lips. **"Oh, trust me, he wasn't lying."**

 **"** **Our fearless leader, I'm afraid, is all too well schooled in the art of getting to the truth."** Future Cas informed Risa and for a moment, surprise was clear on her face, but she reverted to her impassive outlook.

Word spread around camp like a forest fire and everyone knew that when Future Dean got his hands on someone or something that had information he needed, he could make them scream for mercy in a matter of minutes. Risa's never witnessed one of his torture sessions, but she's been around to hear the desperate pleas and cries of his victims, of _Demons_ wailing for death.

Future Dean tapped a spot on the map spread on the table before him. **"Lucifer is here. I know the block and I know the building-"**

 **"** **Is right in the middle of a hot-zone."** Future Cas interrupted upon seeing where the Morning Star was currently located. For once, Future Dean didn't look majorly pissed off as the blue-eyed man took a spot next to him to examine the map. **"Are you saying we walk straight up driveway, past all the Demons and the Croats, knock on the door and shoot the Devil? Not to mention that we also have to get past the copious amount of Hellhounds that'll be lurking around the place, which is going to be problematic considering I can't** ** _see_** ** _them_** **anymore."**

 **"** **You finished?"** Future Dean calmly asked, the faintest hint of sarcasm in his tone, and Cas nodded. **"That's exactly what I think we should do."**

 **"** **We'll title this: Operation Insouciant."**

Future Dean rolled his eyes. **"Are you coming or not?"**

 **"** **Of course."** Future Cas agreed with a sigh as he moved towards the door with Risa and Future Chuck. **"I'll go get the grunts moving."**

 **"** **You're coming with us."** Future Dean tossed an M4A1 carbine to his past-self. **"I want you to see our brother** **."**

 **SN*SN*SN*SN**

Just moments ago, Dean had regained consciousness after his future-self clocked him. And he just watched a man dressed in a white suit crush his future-self's neck under his shoe. When the brunet turned, Dean couldn't believe his eyes.

 **"…** **Sammy?"** Dean called as he stepped closer, tears threatening to fill his eyes at the sight of his baby brother in one piece. His brother's eyes gleamed red and Dean immediately rooted in place, relief being replaced with rage that burned and bubbled in his veins. **"Lucifer."**

 **"** **Imagine my surprise when** ** _two_** **Deans showed up. As if one wasn't more than enough."** Lucifer smiled. He could sense that this Dean was from the past and figured the Angels were trying to get him to consent to Michael's possession by showing him this future. Dean scowled in response and Lucifer nodded in understanding. **"I'm sorry. It must be painful, speaking to me in this form. I had no say in who my true Vessel would be, Dean. It had to be your brother. It was destined."**

 **"** **Destiny can go fuck itself into a coma."** The Hunter growled.

 **"** **Well, that's** ** _one way_** **to think."** Lucifer chuckled. He took a step towards Dean and the man took _two_ back. The Archangel furrowed his brows. **"You don't have to be afraid of me, Dean. What do you think I'm going to do?"**

 **"** **I don't know. Maybe deep-fry the planet?"** Dean snarked.

 **"** **Why would I want to destroy this stunning thing? Beautiful in a trillion different ways. The last perfect handiwork of God."** Lucifer motioned to the garden they were currently standing in. Dean's only been to the Cleveland Botanical Garden in Ohio on a school field trip, but this garden _epically_ outranked what he saw that day. **"You ever hear the story of how I fell from grace?"**

 **"** **Oh, good God. You're not gonna tell me a bedtime story, are you? My stomach's almost out of bile."** Dean groaned. He was not about to have a sympathy-for-the-Devil conversation with the Devil himself.

 **"** **You Humans call me your Devil, but which of us have committed the worst sins?"** Lucifer calmly disputed. **"You destroy your own planet, bring species to extinction and wage wars against one another in my Father's name. You rape and murder and discriminate and steal and dictate, yet** ** _I'm_** **the monster simply because I didn't want to bow down to inferior beings?"**

Dean wasn't fooled by that hunk of crap. Lucifer was the same brand of cockroach he's been squashing his whole life. He was an ugly, evil, belly-to-the-ground, supernatural piece of crap and the only difference between the monsters he's killed and the Archangel was the size of the divine being's ego.

 **"** **Father?"**

Dean saw those red eyes again and he'll admit, seeing them, especially on his sweet little brother, gave him chills. It was like when Azazel had possessed John all those years ago and Dean feared he would have to kill his father. He remembered the day that John died and what he whispered to him before he went, that he might have to kill Sammy to save him one day.

Dean knew that he wouldn't have been able to do it then and he knew that he couldn't do it now. His future-self, no matter how heartless he seemed, obviously couldn't do it either. He could exorcise hordes of Demons and hack the heads off countless Vampires, but he was _never_ going to be able to kill his brother.

Lucifer hated when his Demons called him that. He was not their Father and he would _never_ claim them as his children. They were nothing more than cannon fodder to him, henchmen. He exhaled through his nose and his red eyes dimmed to Sam's hazel-green ones. He slowly turned around to the Demon that wanted his attention like a lion about to pounce on a zebra.

 **"** **I asked not to be disturbed."** He said lightly, though his tone held oceans of malevolence. **"And you know you're not supposed to be anywhere near this sacred place."**

 **"** **F-Forgive me for trespassing, but we think She's here with another Angel, one who still has its power."**

For a split second, Lucifer lost his growing malice at the mention of his valentine. **"Are you certain it's her?"**

 **"** **There's no other explanation, patriarch. There are soldiers marching down the street."** Lucifer narrowed his eyes in annoyed perplexity, impatiently waiting for the Demon to elucidate. **"G.I. Joe soldiers…um, they're action figures. And dinosaurs, giant robots and another creature called an Incredible Hulk. It's doing the most damage. They're clearing a path to the building."**

A smile tugged at Lucifer's lips. She was here, he knew she was. He remembered her animating toys to entertain children in one of her past lives and that memory reminded him of her maternalism, her instinct to nurture and love things. She was going to be a perfect mother.

Lucifer was still smiling as he raised his hand and twisted it, effortlessly making the Demon's neck snap.

 **"** **You're in for it now."** At Dean's remark, Lucifer turned to the Hunter with a slightly confused expression. **"Zia's gonna kick your ass. And it sounds like someone from the God Squad's juiced up and helping her? Oh, yeah. You're going down, you destructive bag of dicks."**

 **"** **I doubt my Soulmate will want to hurt me. After all, she is my Bride-to-be."** Lucifer paused when he heard an explosion. It wasn't very far away and he detected it was a car exploding. He also felt the masses of enchantment getting closer to the building. She was coming. He smiled as he began walking through the garden, Dean following from a safe distance. **"** **Before my brother and I were to battle, one of us was supposed to bond with her. In one of her previous lives, she overlooked her love for me, attached to Michael and convinced him to lock me in the Cage."** Lucifer stopped at a shrub. This one displayed blooming pink Azaleas and he remembered that his mate liked them because it almost sounded like her name, but she favored the symbolism of the flower too: femininity and softness. Next to them was a Snowball Bush. Lucifer trailed his finger over one of the soft petals. He didn't know if Aziza liked the flower, but he had a feeling she would. **"This time around, I think the odds are in my favor."**

 **"** **She** ** _hates_** **you."** Dean commented and Lucifer turned to him with an expectant smile.

 **"** **If there's so much hatred towards me, she could've seriously injured me the day she saved Gabriel from dying by forcing me across the world. She could've easily torn me out of Nick."** He knew of his mate's ability to extract Souls from bodies. She's done so to Michael.

When Aziza originally arrived on Earth, Lucifer felt her presence and the need to find the source of it was maddening. Unknown to him, the same thing was happening to Michael in Heaven. He couldn't even remember which of them found her first, but they weren't trying to murder each other because they were too focused on figuring out why she made them feel the way she did. Lucifer couldn't go back to Heaven, so Aziza made a life with him on Earth and Michael would always find his way to them. With the brothers being in each other's presences, they were constantly bickering.

They'd been arguing again and Michael started to get physical, but similar to Gabriel's restraint, Lucifer didn't engage. He didn't want to fight his brother at the time, he was getting tired of it. Aziza had stepped in and tore Michael out of his Vessel as if she were plucking a flower from the ground, sealed him in a jar and dropped him off at the entrance to Heaven. It was that life that gave Lucifer hope that she'd bond with him now. He knew she cared about him, but the influence she's been under was why she couldn't feel or remember the love they shared.

 **"** **Now that Michael's out of the way, we can be happy again and she can fulfill her true purpose."** Dean blinked out of his thoughts when Lucifer spoke again. He was trying to process that bit of information, but he scowled in confusion at the Archangel. **"Aziza and I will be the new Adam and Eve of the most superior species of divine beings ever created."**

Lucifer smiled at the thought of a future with his valentine and their children. That was the reason why he was doing all this. Sure, this was an Apocalypse for the Human race and all of Heaven's creations, but he was simply cleansing the planet of all its vermin to make it perfect for his future family. The Humans were a filthy disgrace and the Angels would try to kill his children, so he had to get rid of them both. His children would be his greatest creations and Lucifer would never make them bow to anything lesser than themselves. His children would love nothing more than their mother and father, as any child should. Lucifer was going to prove that he could easily be a better father and God than his own was.

The Fallen Archangel turned to the Japanese Camellia bush and gently plucked a frilly, white flower from the shrub. Dean was frozen in shock and horror now that he knew the purpose behind the end of the world. He hated himself for feeling a tiny pang of understanding towards Lucifer. The Archangel wanted to make a family with the one woman he loved and he was going to the most extreme lengths to get it.

 **"Come with me.** **I want you to see this, Dean."** With a wave of his hand, Lucifer had Dean involuntarily following behind him as he entered the building.

The first hallway they walked down was eerily quiet and not a single Demon was in sight. When they reached the end and made a left, there was a trail of bodies leading down either end like some kind of grisly crumb-trail. The floors were littered with life-sized action figures and Demons, both bloody. Lucifer didn't seem to care that his henchmen were dead because he was stepping around or over the bodies without a care. He seemed more concerned about ensuring the flower wouldn't get damaged.

When Dean tore his eyes from the ground, after stepping over the fourth Kamakura action-figure, he tried to flinch back upon seeing Lucifer trying to touch him, but it was too late. A pair of Lucifer's fingers tapped Dean's forehead, then the Archangel turned to a window and watched. Dean, curious, peered out of the window too.

Another swarm of brought-to-life G.I. Joe soldiers were trying to fend off the Demons or Croats and they looked like they were winning. Dean couldn't stop the boyish smirk that pulled at his lips upon seeing the Incredible Hulk in all his green glory. The beast was using a car to bat away the Hellhounds attacking him, but some of those demonic pit-bulls were latched onto his green skin.

Dean's brows furrowed in confusion when he realized that he could _see_ the Hellhounds because he was positive that he hasn't sold his Soul lately, not that any Crossroads Demon would take it, but he remembered Lucifer's touch. He did say that he wanted Dean to see what was going on.

With another swing, the car the Hulk was using as a bat was flung from his hands, hurling through a few buildings like a meteor, and he began ripping the Hellhounds from his body while subsequently stomping on the Croats and Demons at his gigantic feet, not once stepping on a soldier. With every Hellhound that he tore off of his enlarged body, an ample amount of basil-green plasma began leaking from each new wound.

The Hellhounds were relentless in their attacks, pouncing and gnawing and clawing at the protective monster. The Hulk fell to one knee and that was the end of it. More Demons abandoned their fight with the soldiers to joining in on the attack as they crowded around and jumped on him, taking the Hulk down until Dean couldn't spot a single shade of green.

Then, he saw red.

A red laser-beam.

Vintage tin robots from the 80's, that had to be half the height of a skyscraper, came to the Hulk's aid, discharging searing beams of red from their eyes and burning the demonic creatures to a crisp. In the distance, Dean heard the ferocious roar of a T-Rex stomping closer to aid in the battle. He was actually anxious to see how that epic fight would end, but his legs began moving against his will again and he was being led away from the window to continue down the hall with Lucifer.

After another moment or so, they stopped before tall, taupe double doors with baroque and ancient-looking etching carved into the metal-rimmed wood. Lucifer stood before the doors, just staring at them as if he were the new guy at a big corporation and this was his first meeting with the boss. Dean thought it was outrageous that _the goddamn Devil_ had the nerve to be nervous about _anything_.

Lucifer took in a breath through his nose, then he pushed the doors opened to reveal what looked like an imitation of a throne room. Most of the space was empty, but there were tables scattered around and a marble arch over a throne. The body of the throne looked to be made of solid gold and the sunlight pouring in from the high windows on the ceiling made the top trio of arches on the throne take on a lighter, almost vanilla hue. All kinds of regal motifs were engraved into every inch of the throne, faces of growling lions were carved into the armrests and maroon, rayon upholstery made the padded covering of the seat and splat.

But none of those details were as important as the person lounging on the throne, legs casually dangling over the right armrest.

It was Aziza.

 **"** **You look perfect sitting there, my Queen."** Was the first thing Lucifer said and Dean could envision the loving smile on his face to match the doting tone in his voice. She didn't say anything. Lucifer began walking towards her, but Dean's legs did not follow. **"I've been waiting for you to come to me."**

Lucifer was only a few inches away from standing directly in front of her and he extended the flower to her as a gift. Aziza finally moved when she gracefully swing her legs off the armrest and stood, but Dean noticed movement from behind the throne.

Suddenly, there were two of her. Another Aziza stepped from behind the throne to stand next to the first one and not even twins could look as identical as the pair did; a mirror would envy the faultless replica of the blonde. Dean didn't know what the hell was going on. Had there been a Soulmate for both Lucifer and Michael, they'd have clashed long ago, the Apocalypse would've been over and done with _eternities_ ago.

Neither of the Azizas said anything and Lucifer's posture had straightened since the second girl appeared. He was intently scanning the pair before him and even with his angelic abilities, he couldn't decipher which of the blondes was his mate and which was the counterfeit.

He thought for another moment, then a vexed sigh fell from his lips as the only sensible reason appeared to him. **"Gabriel."**

 **"** **Is it me?"** One Aziza asked, her voice exactly like the real one's.

Both girls began to move behind Lucifer and he followed their movements, but by the time he turned around, one Aziza had morphed into the golden-winged Archangel. Lucifer's heated glare was fixed on Gabriel and he looked like he wanted to smite his little brother.

 **"** **Or is this the real me?"** Another voice asked and Lucifer glanced to the side where the last Aziza was. Yet another Gabriel stood there. He lazily strode next to the first Gabriel and was bluntly checking him out, nodding in approval. **"Hello, handsome. Looking good."**

The other Gabriel smirked back. **"Right back at you, sweet stuff."**

 **"** **That's always been one of your faults, Gabriel."** Lucifer spoke and his 'brothers' began moving again until they were on either side of him, both within running distance. Dean was still trying to figure out which one of them was the real Aziza. Lucifer looked to his left, then his right, and he scowled at the immaturity of his younger brother. He had to give him praise for pulling such a convincing trick, but his annoyance was increasing by the second. **"You always run away and hide from your problems like a child. You never grew up."**

 **"** **You're right. I always ran and I always hid."** Lucifer's attention went to the 'Gabriel' on his right as he spoke and he began a slow stroll, morphing into Aziza after a few steps. Lucifer looked to his left and 'Gabriel' was still there, mimicking the circling 'Aziza' was doing, playing mind games with the older Archangel. **"Maybe he was running so he wouldn't turn out like his big brothers did."**

 **"** **You can't fool me. I taught you all your tricks, little brother."** Even as Lucifer declared this with confidence in his tone, his eyes were indecisively darting between the pair.

 **"** **Then you should know which is which."** 'Aziza' taunted and as Lucifer's eyes followed her, 'Gabriel' transformed into the blonde.

 **"** **Who I am."** The new 'Aziza' caught Lucifer's attention, making him turn his back on the other blonde and giving her the opportunity to change into 'Gabriel'. By now, Dean had given up on trying to spot a difference between them. **"Or who I should be."**

 **"** **Michael is dead, Aziza. You have to be with me. It is your destiny There's no other option."** Lucifer tried a different approach, figuring that if he couldn't intimidate his brother, he'd try to reason with his mate.

He didn't want to hurt Aziza at all, but he was going to _strangle_ Gabriel when he figured out which one he really was.

All this time that he's been eliminating the Humans, conquering the Earth, he always thought about his mate and that motivated him to create the magnificent garden full of her favorite flowers as one of the welcome gifts he prepared for her. He made a nest for her in his bedroom as well and trained his loyal Ramsey to serve as her guardian. Of course, he gave the demonic animal the ability to pose as a Šarplaninac dog when she wasn't in a hostile mood because he didn't want his mate to be frightened. He knew Aziza liked soft, cuddly things…such as an Angel's wings.

Lucifer wanted to be prepared for the day Aziza came to him and he wanted her to be happy when she did. He wouldn't have forced her to be with him, but with his further conquest of the planet, he was beginning a more intense search for her. From Sam's memories, he had a rough estimate of where her last location was. He knew she was still protected by Gabriel's warding, but he would've found her eventually.

 **"** **There's always another option."** One of the Azizas declared and Lucifer looked to her. They'd stopped their circling and were on either side of him now, one behind him and one in front. **"An Archangel once said, 'Destiny's a bitch, but we don't have to be her bitch.' He was right."**

 **"** **She decides what she wants to be."** The Aziza on the opposite side spoke, making Lucifer snap his head to her just as she morphed into Gabriel. **"Or is it my choice?"**

 **"** **Enough!"** Lucifer screamed and his discharged anger made the building tremble. He was completely fed up with these childish games. He felt like he was teetering on the verge on insanity. **"Another millennia passes and you still haven't matured! I've had enough of your games, Gabriel! They end today!"**

Lucifer manifested an Angel Blade and gripped the weapon in his hand so tight, he was close to snapping it. He turned to the only Gabriel currently present and began stalking towards his little brother.

 **"** **Lucifer, don't!"** The remaining 'Aziza' warned, a plea heavy in her tone.

But it was too late. Lucifer had grabbed 'Gabriel' and stabbed his little brother in the stomach with the Angel Blade. He thought back to the day when those pagan gods had summoned him and how he should've ended Gabriel's life then.

Whiskey eyes were filled to the brim with tears, but Lucifer held no sympathy for Gabriel. He cruelly yanked the Angel Blade from his little brother's body and the silver was now smeared with blood. Lucifer wanted to watch the life leave Gabriel's eyes for all his shenanigans, but he began see those brown eyes lighten…to azure.

Pained regret instantly filled Lucifer as he dropped the Angel Blade and watched, horrified, as who he thought was Gabriel morphed into Aziza. It was the real her too, he could see it in her dulling eyes.

 **"** **No…no, please…it was a mistake…"** Lucifer begged as he cradled his mate in his arms. Tears were staining her cheeks now and Lucifer shed remorseful tears of his own as he gently cupped her cheek. He was using all his Grace to heal her because he couldn't lose her, not like this. **"You're my star, a stargazer too."**

Lucifer desperately waited for her to respond, to give him some hope that she was going to survive. She was supposed to finish the quote by saying, 'And I wish that I were Heaven with a billion eyes to look at you' because that's what they did in her past lives, recited little pieces of their favorite love-inspired quotes from Greek philosophers or poems to one another. He remembered the first day he began reading poetry to her and the way she smiled was something he'd never forget.

But Aziza didn't finish the quote like she should've and it hurt Lucifer a million times more because that one was her favorite. After he read it to her, the Morning Star recalled his mate saying that they were both bodies of stars gazing at one another while dancing to the Song of the Stars throughout the galaxies. He thought that her words could outrank those of any poet.

Aziza couldn't get a single world out because she was dying and Lucifer could feel her slipping away. His attempts to heal her were in vain because she was fading away from him. She's never died like this, in his arms and by his hand. This was the worst mistake he's ever made. Her death was cruel and it shouldn't have happened…but it wasn't his fault.

Lucifer felt an immense sense of rage, unadulterated fury, boiling inside of him. He hasn't felt this kind of ancient anger since after his mate was created, when he and Michael would start arguing and Aziza, being the peacemaker that she was, would get in the middle of their heated words and she would die trying to calm them down. Lucifer always thought he wasn't responsible for her deaths, that Michael was because he'd always initiate their disputes.

 **"** **Look what you did!"** Lucifer snarled.

With immeasurable delicacy, he laid Aziza's lifeless body on the ground, placed the frilly flower under her hands and stood. He turned to the real Gabriel, but he didn't see the terrified look on his little brother's face. He didn't see his brother at all. All Lucifer could see was blazing red and his target was simply another Archangel, not his family. He began stalking towards the gilded-winged Archangel, his damaged wings flared behind him, and Gabriel was scampering away until he tripped over his own feet.

Unknown to Lucifer, his eyes were _scolding_ red, but the veins on his face had heated as well. It looked like lava cracking through the Earth's surface, only adding to the horrifying appearance of _the Devil_ because the Morning Star had died moments ago with his mate. **"She's dead because you're a coward! You stole her from me! And** ** _you're_** **going to suffer for it!"**

 **SN*SN*SN*SN**

 **"Dean, what have we learned about destiny?"** Zachariah asked from his spot in an armchair where he was reading a newspaper, having pulled the Hunter out of that possible future.

It took a minute for Dean to realize that he was back in his respective year and that he wasn't just about to watch Lucifer slaughter Gabriel. He could feel the tears streaming down his face due to seeing Aziza die like she did and he wiped them away. He looked out the window just to ensure the world wasn't a wasteland in the making, then to the Angel waiting for an answer.

Dean didn't say a word to Zachariah, which just made the Angel smile, as he went to the nightstand and grabbed his phone. He quickly dialed Sam's number and was praying his brother would answer up until he heard the line click.

 **"** **Sammy?"**

 ** _"_** ** _Nope, still me."_** Dean groaned as Zachariah's voice filled his ear. He almost threw his phone at the wall, but he hung up and turned around to glare at the Angel.

 **"** **Bug off, you feathered dick. You showed me what you wanted."**

 **"** **Yet, the question remains unanswered. What have you learned?"** Zachariah reiterated.

 **"** **That you're an asshole!"** Dean barked and the Angel sighed.

 **"E** **veryone you love is going to die, Dean."** Zachariah bluntly stated as he folded the newspaper and stood, smoothed out his gray suit jacket. Dean looked like he was about to charge across the room and hurl the Angel through a wall, so Zachariah forced the Hunter to stay where he was. He thought that showing Dean what could happen if he didn't play his part would convince him to get his ass in gear, but it seemed like he had to step his game up. **"Sam is going to consent to Lucifer and in your eyes, that's worse than death. You're going to lead Castiel to his death, poor Gabriel's going to endure lifetimes of agonizing suffering that outranks** ** _anything_** **Alistair could've ever done before Lucifer finally kills him. And the rest of the world, all those infected by the C-Virus? They're going to be deep-fried extra crispy because Lucifer is** ** _beyond_** **pissed off. Words cannot begin to describe how incensed he is."**

Zachariah wanted to dryly laugh at the thought that came to mind. Dean thought the future he just saw was Lucifer throwing a tantrum, but he would _quiver_ at the sight of what the Morning Star would do to the world if his Soulmate died by his hand. It was hellish.

 **"** **Even so, there is still hope."** The Angel continued, hoping that Dean would weigh the pros and cons of how his consent shaped the fate of the future. **"You're the key to Humanity's survival, Dean. All you have to do is say one little word. Think about it, yours and Sam's lives in exchange for protecting the lives of** ** _billions_** **. Actually, Sam doesn't even have to consent to Lucifer. You give Michael the green light to ride your meat-suit and he'll kill Lucifer in that pitiful Vessel he's inhabiting, it'll be done and over with before anyone notices what happened."**

 **"** **Why didn't you show me what would happen if I _did_ consent to Michael? That's supposed to be the sunny side of things, right?" ** Dean countered. He wasn't listening to a word Zachariah was saying because he knew it was just a phony sale's pitch to get him on Heaven's side. He saw right through the Angel's ruse and Zachariah's silence only proved that he was right. **"I'll tell you why you didn't show me. Either way, whether I consent and Sam doesn't or the other way around, the world gets destroyed and too many innocent people die in the crossfire."**

 **"** **You and the Soulmate must be getting along swimmingly."** Zachariah casually said, changing the subject, and Dean was thrown into silence. **"Sam's taken an interest in her too, hasn't he? And I'll bet Castiel is just her angelic lapdog."**

 **"** **She's-"**

 **"** **Cloaked from an Angel's eye? Yes, I know. But do you really think Heaven didn't know about the Human the Demons claim to be their Queen?"** Zachariah easily filled in the blanks. He was one of the _very few_ Angels that Michael had informed about his Soulmate. The Archangel made it clear that Aziza could not fall into Lucifer's clutches or his Apocalypse would start sooner than expected and Heaven would be destroyed. That thought made him think of another possible future. **"I want you to see something else."**

The Hunter was already struggling to get out of the Angel's divine hold, but his efforts were ineffective. **"I have to put things into perspective for you, Dean. It's the only way you seem to learn."** Zachariah placed two fingers on Dean's forehead and threw him into yet another potential future.

* * *

Hope everyone's still enjoying the story. I hope I threw you guys a curve ball with these last two chapters :3

I couldn't individually thank those who reviewed without making the last batch of chapters longer than they were, so I'll do so now.

To **SilverD15** , thanks for reading! This story's main pairing is Sam/OC & Lucifer/OC, but I do ship Diestel. Chapter 14: _You Know You Make My World Light Up_ is dedicated to my shipping of the pair, but there won't be any romantic Dean/Castiel scenes if that's what you were worried about. I love them together, but I have zero confidence in my writing abilities to do justice to a male pairing, haha. I felt like _Hymn For The Weekend_ was their theme song too.

 **Demona Evernight** , in regards to what Aziza will do...you'll just have to wait and see, hehehe.

 **LoverofArchangels** , in that chapter, I wanted to show a new side of Aziza. She felt betrayed by Michael because she thought he was a friend that was ignorant to her destiny, Archangels and the Apocalypse with an unbiased opinion and genuine care for her. She thought she could confide in him, only to realize he was trying to win her over so he could bond with her. She hates the idea of simply being used like a toy, but she was so upset that she couldn't even realize she and Lucifer want the same things. But hey, that's what happens when you're angry, you don't think straight. And Aziza is not used to being so aggravated, so her rational thinking was drinking tea on Pluto when she confronted Michael, haha.

And my mysterious **Guest** reviewer, I'm glad you're still reading and enjoying the story :3

I know everyone's been asking for Lucifer and Aziza to get some alone time and I assure you, in these upcoming chapters, they will. It won't be in Aziza's dreams either. They'll be face-to-face :3

❤️Thanks for sticking with this story. All those Faves and Follow make my heart sing. Words cannot express how excited I am to hear your reactions to later chapters!❤️


	22. Son, Fear is the Heart of Love

The desolate world, if it could even be called that, around Dean was charred and ash or still burning. Buildings were almost crumbled to piles of rubble, cars littering the streets were on fire, embers were flittering through the blood-scented air and screams could be heard in the distance, but whatever the source of the wails were could not be Human. The skies were ominous, dark clouds that guaranteed no sunlight could break through and red strikes of lightning periodically clashed behind them.

Dean wasn't sure where he was, but there wasn't another living thing in sight. He spotted a row of rocky stakes, that looked like stalagmites, that had to be at least 20 feet tall and their peaks were sharp enough to split a strand of hair. He followed them. The first five or six pickets were bare, then Dean spotted something dully white on one. He couldn't see what it was exactly, it looked like a pillow's intestines, but the jagged pole was skewered through the white and pinning it.

Dean continued walking along the line of stakes, but he started to notice the white from the first stake on more of the poles. At first, it was just one or two every few feet, then they became more frequent until there was a form of white on each post. Some of them even shared more than one, but Dean had no idea what they were. It was too damn dark, there was no sunlight, he didn't have a flashlight and the low, scattered fires around him weren't bright enough to let him see anything other than what was 2 feet in front of him.

Dean figured that this was Zachariah's way of giving him directions, so he kept following the stakes, but he stopped after another few steps. There was finally another sign of life in his sight.

Someone was looking up at the tall poles and it must've been a woman due to her long hair. Not knowing what kind of Apocalypse this was or if there was some mad-human-disease spreading like the C-Virus, Dean took cautious steps towards the female and he began to hear something. It wasn't the far-off screams either. It only took another second for his ears to register the sound: the gasping breaths of someone's life slipping away from them. It was a sound he's heard throughout his life as a Hunter.

Dean's first thought was that the woman was hurt, that maybe she got into a fight with whatever ungodly creatures were lurking in this scenario, but as he looked at her, she didn't seem harmed. Her shoulders weren't heaving with her breaths, she wasn't shaking and she wasn't clutching some part of her body. She was simply watching the tall rods.

If she wasn't making those grisly sounds of death, what was?

 **"D-D…ean…"** A dry voice croaked his broken name and Dean stopped his cautious strides towards the female.

That voice belonged to a male and still, the unknown female was standing motionless. It looked like she was a goddamn statue. Dean was a little over a yard away from the girl, but his eyes were pulled forward and trying to focus on the darkened forms speared on the rods. One of the silhouettes was moving, just barely, but shifting enough for Dean's scrutinizing eyes to detect the budging.

A sudden crash of thunder and lightning erupted in the darkened sky above. The reddish flash of electric discharge gave Dean just enough light to see what those dark forms pinned to the stakes were and his eyes winded in horror at what was there.

Angels.

Bloody, severely bruised and very dead Angels were skewered on the stakes. Most of them had the sharp ends piercing through their blood-spattered wings, but others had them through their hearts or their throats, some even having the spears through their eyes.

The Angel that was still moving, the one that called Dean…the sight was too much to bear and Dean's eyes instantly filled with blistering tears that easily slid down his cheeks.

There was Castiel, hanging in the dead center of the massacre like a prized ornament. He was stripped of his usual trench coat, button-down shirt and slacks, leaving him bare for all to see. His dark hair was a matted mess and there was blood leaking down from his hairline to coat his face in maroon plasma. His once bright blue eyes looked to be dimming by the millisecond, but the amount of misery in them was unmistakable.

As if that weren't enough, the poor Angel was skewered _everywhere_. Both his arms were stretched out and his palms were impaled by poles, making him look like he was the Jesus of all Angels being crucified. An Angel's Blade was lodged into the right side of his throat and its bloody end was gruesomely sticking out of the left. There were so many gory cavities with rods going in one way and out the another along his torso, through his ribcage, stomach and legs that it was impossible to know where one started and another ended.

Within that forever that the lightning seemed to flash, Dean locked eyes with his beloved Angel and watched in utter horror as Castiel tried to say something else to him, but his body began to slacken until he was stock-still.

Dean was left staring into the lifeless eyes of Castiel, finding it near impossible to breathe or think or do anything other than cry.

 **"I am so proud of you."**

Dean turned back to the woman, realizing that she just spoke. Something was wrong though. There was an underlying growl to her voice and she wasn't facing him. Her head was turned away from him and looking down at something next to her.

 **"Not only do you have your father's bloodlust, but you killed the one Angel that's been a thorn in our sides for years. You're special."** The woman continued her praise to an unknown person, her tone loving and warm. Almost like a mother's voice.

 **"Will he be proud of me?"** Another voice asked, this one smaller and with a higher pitch than the woman's. Was that a child?

The woman looked back at Castiel's cadaver and Dean got a sickening feeling in his stomach that she was smiling.

 **"Darling, he'll be** ** _ecstatic_** **."** The woman told the juvenile voice and Dean heard the kid…giggle...like it was proud. He didn't understand why Zachariah wanted him to witness this sick Hell, but he had enough of it.

 **"You've made your point, you flying bag of balls!"** Dean carelessly yelled into the air, knowing Zachariah could hear him. **"Zap me outta here! I'm done with this bullshit!"**

 **"** ** _Winchester_** **."** Dean flinched away from the sound as his surname was hissed right into his ear.

In a defensive stance, he whirled around and was prepared to duke it out with whatever the hell decided to emerge from the shadows, but his entire body froze when he saw who confronted him.

It was Aziza.

But this, whatever was standing in front of Dean, _was not_ her.

It looked exactly like the blonde girl Gabriel's been protecting for God knows how long, she was adult-sized and not a single detail was altered…except her eyes. Her demonic eyes.

Gone were the dewy, hopeful azure eyes that Dean swore were always were shimmering like comets. Replacing them were what had to be the most horrendous, most malevolent orbs Dean has ever seen in his life and they were twice as terrifying on the face of such a sweet girl.

Aziza's eyes were red, _blazing_ red. It looked as if the very fires of Hell had replaced the rings of her irises and were still burning. Then, her pupils…those were the darkest shade of black anyone's ever seen, darker than a black hole or Demon's very Soul could be. There wasn't a slither of hope for light to survive in those eyes.

And the only thing Dean could see in those eyes were evil in its rawest form. Those eyes held no naïveté or purity or tenderness, only sinful perniciousness.

 **"You look so different without Michael riding your meat-suit."** Aziza smirked at the Hunter, revealing her painfully serrated canines that threatened to tear his flesh from his bones, as she slowly began pacing around him like a predator circling its next kill. That bone-chilling growl he heard earlier was evident in her voice. **"Michael put up quite the fight against my husband the first time. I wonder how things will turn out now that you're in control."**

 **"Mom, what's that thing?"**

When Aziza turned to the questioning voice, Dean got to see who she was talking to earlier and all the blood in his body ran cold at the conformation that she was praising a child. It was a little boy who looked to be 9 or 10-years-old. He had tousled, dirty-blonde hair that fell to his eyebrows in the front and his eyes seemed to resemble citrine in color, but they were dimly glowing in the darkness that surrounded them, making the boy look like a young panther who was out on a hunt with its mother.

Aziza smiled and held her hand out in a gesture for the boy to come to her and he did so, grabbing her palm when he was close enough. She put the boy in front of her and rested her hands on his shoulders as the child's curious eyes observed Dean. The kid even did the Angel Tilt.

 **"This is a Human being, Amzi*."** She educated him and the child's brows pulled together in confusion. He tilted his head back to look up at his mother.

 **"I thought father got rid of all the Humans."**

 **"I did."** A man answered, his voice much more mature than the child's. Dean turned around and was unfortunately acquainted with Lucifer. It was his turn to be confused when he saw the Fallen Archangel wasn't wearing Sam's skin. He was possessing Nick's body. Lucifer looked at Dean, knowing the Angels of the past had sent him here due to the smell of divinity he practically reeked of. He even smiled at the Hunter. **"Hello, Dean. I see Heaven's sent you on another future trip."**

 **"Where's Sam?"** Dean demanded.

 **"Dead, has been for years."** Lucifer easily answered. He was expecting Dean to ask where his brother was.

The Morning Star turned to his family and smiled at his beautiful wife as he began walking towards her. He tussled his only son's hair and received a darling smile from the child, the first offspring of an Archangel and a Seraphim. Amzi was blocking Dean's view of Aziza's stomach, so he didn't notice when Lucifer spread his hand out over his mate's flat abdomen. She wasn't showing at all, but another child of his was beginning to grow inside of her and Lucifer couldn't be happier to know that his family was expanding. His eyes lifted to Aziza's altered ones. Those came after he killed Michael, when Heaven waged war on them and tried to kidnap their only son. They were going to brainwash him, turn him against his own parents, just so they could win this war. Aziza went absolutely _ballistic_ and, ironically, destroyed Heaven in six days, the same amount of time it took for God to create Heaven and the Earth, which is why the sky looked the way it did. After Lucifer witnessed her fierce protection over their son, he couldn't restrain himself from wanting to mate with his valentine and now, they were getting another child, another product of their love.

He was still gazing at his beloved when he spoke to the Hunter. **"Aziza is a very powerful being, Dean. Thanks to her, I didn't need your precious little Sammy to kill Michael and start the Apocalypse."**

Lucifer pried his eyes away from Aziza's to glance at Dean. The Hunter wore armor that nobody could break, but the Morning Star slipped through the cracks of his well-worn protective covering. Dean looked like he was quite literally frozen with a combination of terror, disbelief and a sprinkle of helplessness.

Dean was realizing what would happen if this future came to be. Lucifer somehow got hold of Aziza and they bonded. Earth was a wasteland, Michael lost the fight against his brother, all the Angels were being slaughtered...Sam was dead. In this future, it seemed like there was no reason to hold hope for anything because the only things promised were pain and death.

 **"Your son's done something remarkable."** Aziza told her mate, smiling when she felt him affectionately rub his thumb over her belly. She looked down at Amzi, her pride and joy all wrapped up into one boy. **"He killed Castiel and his entire garrison just a minute ago."**

Lucifer's brows rose in delighted surprise and Aziza smiled at him. Lucifer's been training his son in the ways of a Heavenly Knight and to say that Amzi was a skilled little warrior would be an understatement. The child could probably lead an entire garrison of Angels or Demons in a war and win. Amzi tugged on his father's shirt to get his attention, then pointed to the dead Angel his mother told him was named Castiel.

 **"Amzi, the Slayer of Angels. It's got a ring to it."** Lucifer chuckled. **"Now, my son, wouldn't you like to show your father just how excellent a warrior you are by killing the last Human on Earth?"**

 **"That'll be easy."** Amzi confidently told his Dad, making Lucifer smile. His son inherited his smugness for sure.

Amzi detached from his parents to stalk towards Dean and the Hunter was blindly walking backwards to distance himself from the boy. He knew Amzi had to be the hybrid of what Aziza was and an Archangel, so the amount of divine power juicing him up had to be out of this world.

Amzi's golden eyes began to glow and for a moment that felt like a lifetime, Dean felt like something had just cracked his ribcage open with claw openers.

 **SN*SN*SN*SN**

Zachariah had been watching Dean while he was in another future and he decided to let the Hunter get a taste of how cruel life could be before pulling him back to safety.

This time, Dean was brought back to the present year and he fell to the floor, scrambling backwards until his back hit the wall under the windows. His eyes were wild, searching the room for the evil Aziza or her son. The Angel moved from his previous position in the armchair to the bed and he was laid out on it, having gotten comfortable while Dean was away. His suit jacket was draped on one of the short bedposts and he loosened his tie as he flipped through an _Entertainment Weekly_ magazine.

 **"Had enough or should I keep going?"** He asked the startled Winchester, who was now clutching his heart as he panted. Zachariah leaned over to the nightstand and retrieved his neat glass of Scotch, raising it to the stubborn Human. **"We can do this all night long, Dean. Seriously. There are** ** _so_** **many possibilities for us to go through and all of them are more terrifying than the last."**

 **"…what did he do to her?"** Dean hesitantly asked. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to know the answer.

 **"What he was supposed to."** Zachariah answered, flipping to another page dedicated to the latest season of _Game of Thrones_. He might be an Angel, but he enjoyed the perks of humanity and was an avid watcher of the fantasy series. **"That's inevitably what will happen if the Soulmate bonds with Lucifer instead of Michael. They'd snap the necks of all the billions of Humans on Earth as a first date and create their own race of children so powerful that an Archangel would be slain and skewered two minutes into battle. I worry if the Big Man would be able to handle them, but He hasn't shown up in any of the futures, so we'll never know."**

 **"You didn't answer my question."** Zachariah lifted his eyes over the top of his magazine, waiting for Dean to explain. No longer did the eldest Winchester son look like he was just thrown into a cage with a pissed off grizzly bear and just barely managed to escape with his life. Now, Dean Winchester looked like he had his shit together and was ready to step up to the plate. **"What did Lucifer do to Aziza to make her bond with him? Did he force her into it?"**

 **"He can't force her to do anything, Dean. She's more powerful than him."** The Angel said with a roll of his eyes before taking a sip from his glass. He hummed when he remembered a scene Dean didn't get to see on his trip to the future. **"She killed Sam first, you know. It wasn't a quick death either. She made him squirm and squeal. Lucifer's Bride is Alistair times** ** _twenty._** **If he were still around, I bet my wings she could make him beg for mercy."**

 **"Lucifer lied to her!"** Dean protested, his rising anger causing him to bolt to his feet. Every muscle within his body was tautened in a vain attempt to keep the lid on his aggression. **"He told her he was gonna kill me or Cas or Gabriel and she bonded with him to save our asses, because she had no other choice!"**

Zachariah sighed and let his head loll backwards to rest on the wall. He flung his magazine to the edge of the bed, then stood up and lazily strode over to a fuming Dean.

 **"Dean,** ** _listen_** **to me.** ** _Hear_** **my words."** The Angel said slowly and clearly. He went to put his hands on the Hunter's shoulders, but Dean smacked his mitts away and Zachariah got the hint that he was prodding the bull. **"Lucifer and Michael** ** _cannot_** **forcibly bond with their Soulmate. It is impossible."**

Zachariah mumbled for his Father's patience as he took in Dean's expression. It was clear to anyone with the gift of sight that the Hunter didn't understand or he didn't like that answer, so Zachariah had no choice but to give him _thorough_ details.

 **"Let's say Lucifer tried to, which he never has and never will. She's going to panic and send out a distress signal. Michael is going to hijack the nearest meat-suit capable of containing him, answer that call and most likely rip whatever Vessel Lucifer's using to shreds in order to protect his Soulmate. Same thing would happen if the tables were turned."** The Angel waited for Dean to devour what he just told him, but Dean refused to change his expression of utter denial towards the hard truth. After a minute of silence, Zachariah questioned, **"Knowing what you know now, are you ready to stop being so stubborn?"**

 **"What you don't seem to understand, you fanatical son of a bitch, is that I** ** _will not_** **let my goddamn planet be the amphitheater for the death match of the century."** Dean spat at the Angel, purposely brushing past him as he retrieved his jacket from the floor where he threw it upon entering his rented room. He got on his knees next to the bed to pull his duffle from under it, slinging it on his shoulder and glaring at the smug looking divine being. **"The longer Sam and I refuse, the longer billions of people can keep living. So, all you lame ass bitches in Heaven can eat me."**

 **"Wanna see another future?"** Zachariah challenged like the sadistic bastard he was, making Dean's nose flare and his body tense again. **"This one's a favorite of mine. Lucifer and Michael are dead. Cause of death: a very angry Soulmate. You'd think the world would be a better place without the brothers, but it's** ** _much_** **worse. Humans are gone, no more Archangels, everything from Hell has as much power as a pagan. Beings that God locked away to protect His favorite pets are overrunning the planet and every day consists of war and death. Any and everything divine and holy vs. the Queen of Hell. And that future becomes a reality based on what you do tonight."**

 **"Take your mind games and shove 'em up your tight ass."** Dean growled. He was absolutely fed up with every Angel currently fluttering their deceivingly destructive asses in Heaven or in cahoots with Michael.

Dean snatched his phone from the nightstand and went to walk out of the room, but his legs were being rebellious again. With a highly agitated sigh, his attention went back to Zachariah because, clearly, the Angel wasn't finished with him yet.

 **"I'm giving you _one_ chance, Dean." ** Zachariah said in a tone that could surpass the dryness of stale saltine crackers, his eyes void of any emotion. **"Make the right decision or I'm gonna fling you into every possible future until your tiny mind shatters."**

The two stared at each other after the final words had been said. Dean was waiting to feel like he wasn't paralyzed while Zachariah was waiting for, at the very least, a nod of understanding from the Hunter, but he didn't get it. The only thing Dean did was glare at the Angel with murder in his eyes, something that all Winchester men mastered and could use to strike fear into whomever or whatever was on the receiving end.

But Zachariah smiled in response.

He's seen those same eyes on Michael and he took that as a sign that Dean was going to straighten up and fly right.

The Angel snapped his fingers and was gone, returning to Heaven to report in to Michael on his progress with Dean. The Hunter didn't move for a moment, waiting to see if Zachariah would pop back in. When he didn't, Dean was all but flying out of the motel, knowing he had his free will again. He threw his bag into Baby and with a screech of her tires, which he apologized for, was zipping down the streets like a flaming Hellhound getting the chance to run out of Hell.

Dean tapped the 'Call' button on Sam's contact card in his phone and put the device to his ear, almost frantically hoping for his brother to answer. After the second ring, Dean was greeted with a bit of static, which was strange, but he heard Sam say his name.

 **"Sammy-"**

 ** _"She's gone, Dean."_** Sam cut him off and Dean blinked, totally confused. He didn't know if most of his puzzlement was stemming from what Sam just said or from how...blank his brother sounded. Sam's voice held no emotion like it usually did, which meant he was biting back whatever he was feeling because he knew he was going to yell or cry. **_"She just..."_** Sam sighed, not having the words to finish his sentence. ** _"I found note on the fridge saying that she didn't want to break us up, so she bailed. She thinks that her leaving will make you come back."_**

 **"No, Zia."** Dean groaned.

 ** _"I know you think being separated from us is for the best, but…"_** Dean heard Sam try to conceal a sniffle on the other end. ** _"I need your help, Dean. I don't know what to do."_**

 **"I'm haulin' ass back to the cabin now."** He assured his little brother and added more pressure to the gas just to prove his point. **"He's gonna be pissed, but summon Gabriel to track her down."**

 ** _"He won't be able to."_** Sam shot down that suggestion. **_"She took her bracelet off, left it on the counter with her phone."_**

It was Dean's turn to be silent. He took the phone from his ear and ran a hand over his face.

This had to be some of the worse news he's ever gotten and hearing Sam so desperate and lost was just making everything worse. Without that bracelet, Gabriel would likely think Aziza was still at the cabin where she belonged until he came to visit. Dean knew Sam had to have bugged her phone at some point, but she left that too, so they were really out of luck with tracking her by their usual means, which is probably why Sam was so emotional.

Aziza had run off to who knows where, unprotected and vulnerable to Michael and Lucifer's minions. Dean thought about the last future Zachariah showed him and how sinister Aziza became due to Lucifer's corruption. Panic swelled in his heart at the possibility of the Fallen Archangel getting his hands on his Soulmate.

 **"Okay…Gabriel might know how to find her. Maybe he's got one of those micro-chips planted in her molar or something."** Dean tried to be that hopeful ray of sunlight breaking through clouded skies. The missing Archangel had to have some kind of contingency plan if Aziza decided to run off or if she took off her bracelet. He also had to inform Gabriel that, apparently, someone in Heaven had reason to believe that he wasn't dead. When he didn't get an answer, Dean looked at his phone to ensure he didn't accidentally hang up on his brother. **"Sam, listen to me. Everything's gonna be okay. Aziza's gonna be fine. If she can get away from a Levis model and a stripper, she can handle anything out there."**

When Dean heard Sam give the slightest of amused huffs, he felt like a ton of the weight he carried was lifted off his shoulders.

 **"I'll be there as soon as I can."** Was the last thing Dean told Sam.

Before they even hug up, Dean had the pedal to the floor and determination in his eyes. It took him 9 and a half hours to get to Missouri, but he was going to set a record by getting back to Colorado in half that time.

* * *

Amzi:  
Hebrew name meaning 'strong, mighty'


	23. I'm Only One Call Away

**"Sammy!"** Dean called his little brother as he entered the cabin.

Baby was parked outside, her grille almost touching the steps of the house, and the driver's door was left open because Dean couldn't be bothered to shut it. All he cared about was getting back to the place he called home and trying to stitch his family back together before it was too late. He almost broke the goddamn door down in his haste to open it, but he was now standing in the living room and he spotted his brother.

Sam was sitting in an armchair and his hair was messy, like he's been running his hands through it all day. His eyes were red rimmed, a little puffy, and that let Dean know he's been crying, but his jaw was tight too, most likely to prevent more tears from spilling. Honestly, Sam looked a little sick, like he had a stubborn cold that chicken soup and vapor rub couldn't heal. His hazel-green eyes didn't even flick over to his brother and that only served to increase Dean's worry tenfold.

Dean was about to run across the room and hug Sam, just to make sure he was there, but the lights started to violently flicker. The _pop-pop-poping_ of the bulbs, like kernels being nuked in a microwave, in the kitchen made Dean raise his arm to shield himself from any flying shards of glass and he looked into the now opaque galley, but he couldn't see anyone in the dark. Honestly, he was hoping that Aziza had come back home and was mad at him for leaving, but that wasn't the case.

He looked around the living room, but nobody other than Sam was there. His attention was then pulled upwards to the balcony over the kitchen. There Gabriel stood, looking down at Dean like he was an annoying bug he just couldn't step on enough. It felt like Gabriel was fitting into his divine being title then, that he was something that a little Human like Dean would never fully understand, but knew could slaughter him in a second if he wanted.

 **"Gabriel, before you blow a fuse-"**

 **"Save it, Winchester. I already know what happened."** The Archangel cut Dean off, not wanting to hear an excuse or lies.

The tone of Gabriel's voice had rendered Dean silent and a rush of coldness settled in his gut as if he just swallowed a snowball. His stony-face expression was what unnerved Dean the most because Gabriel usually had a glint in his whiskey eyes and a smirk on his face.

Right now, there was no room for jokes and giggles. Gabriel no longer looked like a mischievous Trickster or happy-go-lucky guy. In that moment, as he glared down at the elder Hunter, he looked like one of the four Commanders of Heaven's armies, like a no-nonsense General that barked orders and dished out oppressive punishments to anyone who _dared_ to disobey his command.

The Archangel reminded Dean of John and how easily he could turn into a drill sergeant throughout his childhood. Instinctively, his spine straightened and he stood stiff at attention, almost timidly expecting an order to be shouted at him.

All three Rock Guardians had simultaneously summoned Gabriel when they realized they couldn't feel Aziza's energy anywhere within the house. After Sam got off the phone with his brother, he was greeted with an overly concerned Archangel. Sam didn't know, but Gabriel hasn't spoken to Balthazar lately and something spooked Kali so bad that she called it quits on keeping an eye on Lucifer and went underground. He hasn't seen or heard from either of them in almost a full week, he couldn't track them down and that worried him. Then, the Rock Guardians call him here only to inform him that Aziza was MIA too.

Gabriel teleported to the lower level and stood between Dean and Sam. He honestly had so much hope for the Winchesters to live up to their word and he was actually happy to see how well Aziza fit in with them, but now, he didn't know which one he was more disappointed in. **"You told me she'd be safe with you. Both of you _promised me_ that she'd be protected under your care. And look what happened."**

 **"She's still-"** Dean tried.

 **"She's not here!"** Gabriel abruptly exploded, the nearest lightbulbs bursting as his anger increased. Neither brother could see, but his gilded wings had flared out behind him and were twitching with his increased aggravation. He flung a wad of purple at Dean and the impact didn't hurt, but the force from being thrown by an irritated divine being was enough to cause Dean to stumble back a few steps. The purple fell from his chest and into his hand. Looking down at it, Dean saw Aziza's bracelet in his palm. **"She took off her bracelet, I have _no fucking idea_ where she is! There is no spell in this world or the next that could locate her! And you fuckheads don't seem to understand that _Lucifer and Michael_ are on the hunt for her, but you just made it easier for them, got us one step closer to Armageddon, by driving her off!"**

 **"Sam had nothing to do with her leaving. It's my fault, okay?"** Dean finally was able to get a word in, third time's the charm and all. He spoke cautiously towards the fuming Archangel, fearing that Gabriel was pissed off enough to actually kill him. He glanced at Sam, but his little brother hasn't moved so much as a milometer from the spot he was in. Dean figured that Sam's silence and him not jumping in with his two-cents was due to Gabriel. He didn't know how long the Archangel's been at the cabin, but he had a feeling that Sam witnessed his initial ebullition and was scared. Dean could not allow Gabriel to blame his baby brother for a mistake he made. **"I left, separated from the pack. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I wasn't. Zia just wanted me to come back home."**

 **"Dean, I should trap you in a _High School Musical_ movie for the rest of your life. I should make you take that Impala apart piece by piece and eat every bit. And believe me, I _really_ want to right now." **Gabriel's tone was low and threatening. His whiskey eyes even seemed to darken enough to resemble boiling pots of chestnuts and he seemed to resemble how Michael usually looked with his expression, always so over-serious and unsmiling. Then, with those atypically baleful eyes, he smirked. The grin was cruelly minatory and almost tyrannical, intending to intimidate whomever was on the receiving end; Dean knew the gesture all too well, having used it a majority of his life. **"But, I'll do you one worse. Since you're owning up to Aziza running away, to practically gift-wrapping her to my brothers, _you're_ gonna carry the remorse that comes if she dies. _You're_ gonna be the dickhat responsible for the end of the goddamn world. Not Michael, not Lucifer. _You_."**

Gabriel was not the type to hold grudges and be angry with someone for long. He wasn't a spiteful person at all. Anger didn't benefit or enhance anyone's life, so Gabriel chose to live without it and those traits rubbed off on Aziza. Everyone took it for granted, but there was no guarantee that tomorrow would come or that everyone would live to see the next sunrise. The only things death brought were tears, remorse and not being able to forgive.

Tonight was different.

Honestly, Gabriel felt like he could understand why Lucifer had gone and started torturing Souls because he was _that_ infuriated.

Aziza was a little bunny wandering somewhere in this world full of barbaric monsters and he couldn't do anything to help or protect her. He couldn't even _find_ _her_. Has she ever run away from him before? Yes, once or twice in her past lives. She'd be enlightened on her existence and what God planned for her to do and that would scare her out of her skin. She'd run away from Gabriel, not to _Michael's_ retreat either, but just off to a place where she felt like she could breathe. She'd only be gone a few hours and Gabriel would know exactly where she was, but he wouldn't spy on her. He'd just wait. Once she decided to come back home, she'd be a crying, trembling mess and Gabe would hug and shush her as best she could. She would ask him all kinds of questions, why was she like this and why was God so cruel, but he simply did not have the answers.

But this time was different. Never, _not once_ since she's been with him, has Aziza ever taken off Gabriel's bracelet. She knew it protected her and she knew that her Archangel would always know where she was because of it. For her to take it off and leave like she did tonight was more than her trying to get Dean to come back to Sam. It was also saying that even if the brothers were reunited, she did not want Gabriel to find her and that shattered his heart.

Again, Dean couldn't find the will or strength to say a word or even something witty. He thought back to one of the last things Zachariah told him, that his actions tonight would shape the future of the world and that Aziza could turn into that malevolent being he saw if he didn't make the right decision, and the Angel's words were haunting him now. Dean didn't know how he was supposed to save the world _and_ Aziza when he didn't even know what the right next step was, what was going to help or hurt everyone.

 **"I'm going to California to wait for her."** Gabriel stalked over to Dean and snatched the bracelet from his hand, scowling at the Hunter the entire time. **"Enjoy all those fond memories while you've got them 'cause when I get back, they're gone."**

And with that, Gabriel disappeared, taking with him the vice-tight hold that was thinning the air.

Dean felt like he could breathe again and he let out a slightly shaken sigh. He didn't even get a chance to inform Gabriel that Heaven might be privy to his faked death due to the futures he saw.

 **"Where's the note she left?"** He asked his brother, wanting to get productive and try to find Aziza. When he didn't get an answer, he went over to Sam and kneeled on the floor before him. **"Sam, work with me here. I need you with me."**

Sam didn't budge or even acknowledge his brother. He was too focused on staring out the window.

He was watching the Rock Guardian that's been looking in the window since Gabriel arrived. He was sure this was one Panos and the rock-being has been glowing that cautious Yellow since it detected the severely pissed off Archangel, but now, the Yellow dulled away. Panos walked away from the window and did the only thing he could. He went back to guarding the perimeter, his giant footsteps not making a sound.

 **"Just making sure he was gone."** Sam got up and quickly climbed the stairs to retrieve his laptop from his bedroom. Coming back, he opened the lid and showed Dean what was on the screen. There was a map on the screen and a blinking red dot had Castiel's name over it along with his current location. **"Gabriel was more pissed than helpful, so I decided not to tell him what was going on. I put a tracker behind the battery in Cas' cell and I think he followed Aziza when she left. He's been in that spot almost an hour now. Maybe he's talking to her or they checked into a hotel."**

 **"Sam, you evil genius."** Dean praised, pulling his little brother under his arm for a quick hug as they headed outside to the Impala.

As Dean drove, Sam was giving him directions by telling him which streets to ride down and what corners to turn on. According to the tracker, Castiel had trailed Aziza to Aspen, Colorado and that was a measly 2-hour drive from the cabin. Dean was an expert at cutting time in half when driving long distances and they zoomed into Aspen in a little over 45 minutes.

The brothers were now driving through a less populated neighborhood and down a closed down strip mall, skeptically eyeing the condemned businesses. According to the sign, the lot of stores was due to be demolished and rebuilt within the upcoming weeks.

 **"Cas is in _there_?" ** Dean questioned as he pulled Baby to a stop and removed the keys.

 **"That's where his phone is. And that's her car."** Sam pointed to the red convertible parked on the other side of the lot, almost unseen due to the doughnut shop looming over it.

Dean and Sam looked at each other, wondering why the hell Aziza and Cas would be in such a place. The blonde had the funds to check herself into a 5-star hotel and Castiel wouldn't want to crash in a place like this. If anything, he'd check into the first motel listed in the phone-book, just like the Winchesters taught him. Without much of an alternative, the boys piled out of the Impala and went to the trunk to retrieve their pistols.

The doughnut shop was where the signal from Castiel's phone was coming from, so Sam and Dean quietly crept across the lot to either side of the door. Dean tried to push the door open, but it was locked. He peered through the door's glass frame and didn't see any chains around the handle, so he nodded to let Sam know he could pick the lock while he kept an eye out.

Once the brothers were inside the uninhabited shop, they took around. There were a few tables and chairs still standing, but the place looked to be covered in quite a few layers of dust and debris. The windows were boarded up to prevent anyone from entering, so Sam fished a mini-flashlight from his pocket to let them see their environment. His light settled on a figure standing behind the counter.

 **"Dean."** He whispered, jerking his chin in the direction of the counter. When Dean looked, he saw a man with black hair and an all too familiar trench-coat on his shoulders, but he was facing away from the boys.

 **"Cas...you okay?"** Dean asked as he and Sam edged towards their misplaced Angel. **"What're you doing in here?"**

 **"Catching Winchesters."** The boys were on the other side of the counter now, just about an arm's length away from Cas, when they froze. Dean immediately realized that whomever they were talking to wasn't their Angel because their voice was completely different from the deep tone of Castiel.

When the man turned, Sam and Dean were greeted with an evil smirk and black eyes. The last thing they saw was the Demon raising its hand to show them Castiel's phone, then it was lights out.

 **SN*SN*SN*SN***

When Dean and Sam came back to consciousness, the first thing they realized was that they were in a new place. It looked to be a warehouse. There was graffiti adorning the tall walls, windows high on the ceiling, a heavy-looking metal square acting as a door and a few fire barrels illuminating the place; there was one chair in the center of the room. The next thing was that they were sitting on the hard ground with their backs pressed against metal beams and their hands restrained behind them.

Before either of them could attempt to free themselves, an old face greeted them. **"Moose, Squirrel, lovely to see you both."**

The brothers looked to the source of the voice and they both rolled their eyes upon seeing the King of the Crossroads with a squad of Demons behind him. Dean was glaring at the black-haired one who they saw in the doughnut shop and the fiend smirked back. He was still wearing Castiel's trench-coat, but he took it off and sauntered over to Dean, twirling one of the sleeves.

 **"Never had an Angel as a pet before.** **Bet he'll be loads of fun."** He teased as draped the trench-coat over Dean's shoulders and tied the sleeves around his neck, giving the Hunter a pat on the cheek.

Dean didn't say anything as the Demon walked back to Crowley's side. He didn't need to. The murderous and downright bloodthirsty look in his darkened eyes said it all. When he got out of here, he was going to find that Demon and make him make him swallow _bucketful_ after _bucketful_ of salt if there was so much as a single hair out of place on his Angel.

 **"What do you want, Crowley?"** Sam questioned, knowing that the Demon only showed his face when there was something he needed from them.

 **"With you two bozos? Not a** **thing."** Crowley smirked, surprising the boys. **"I just need a pretty little dove to start chirping and you lot were gonna get in the way of that, so I had to get rid of a three-sided obstacle. I know better than underestimate you denim-wrapped nightmares."**

Dean's eyes squinted in confusion. **"The hell are you talking about?"**

 **"Tonight is going to go down in history until the end of time."** Crowley declared and he began sauntering over to the nearest fire-barrel. He put his hands on either side of the cylinder and wasn't at all pained by the blistering heat of the metal. He gazed at the flames, almost in an admiring kind of way. **"Future generations will carry the events that unfold within the next hour to their graves and beyond. Tonight, lads…I'm going to become a god in the eyes of every Demon from now until the end of time."**

 **"You really love hearing yourself talk, don't you?"** Dean grouched and he heard Crowley chuckle as he turned to him.

 **"A man with an accent is a known aphrodisiac."** He smirked at the bound Hunters, but his attention went to the sole sliding door when it was pulled open. Another pair of Demons entered and they had someone between them, but there was a burlap sack over their head. They guided their captive to the chair, sat them down and bound their arms and legs to it. Crowley tutted at his minions. **"Is that any way to treat a guest? Take that sack off her head."**

One of the Demons complied to its boss' request and pulled the sack from it's captive's head, revealing a startled Aziza. At the sight of her, Dean and Sam had started pulling at the restrains around their wrists, fighting with all their might to break free. Sam was exerting the most energy to get free. Seeing Aziza surrounded by Demons put his mind and body on Red Alert. Those fiends, not this specific batch of Demons, named her their Queen and if they had her, nothing good could come of it.

 **"I'm gonna kill you, Crowley!"** Sam earnestly threatened the red-eyed Demon, still thrashing with Dean in vain attempts to free themselves. **"I'm gonna rip your goddamn spine outta your throat!"**

 **"Oh, Moose. Keep up that dirty talking and you'll have me in bed in no time."** Crowley smirked. With a wave of his hand, the brothers were pressed back into the beams and unable to move their bodies.

 **"Did he hurt you?"** Sam asked, his voice still guarded, but warm enough for Aziza to hear his concern. She shook her head and the brothers let out quiet sighs of relief.

 **"Gabe doesn't know where I am, then Cas found me and the Demons came and I don't know what they did to him a-and…I shouldn't have left. I just wanted Dean to come back."**

Dean saw how her head hung, just like the day she blamed herself for the deaths of his parents and the evens that unfolded afterwards. He knew she was doing it again and he wouldn't have her thinking like that ever again. He couldn't give her a heartfelt talk like he did in her room that day, but when they all got out of Crowley's grip, he would lay on the soft and cuddly like there was no tomorrow. He would gladly turn into a man-sized teddy bear for the sake of a certain blonde.

 **"Everything's gonna be okay, kiddo."** Dean assured Aziza, making her look at him. He smiled at her, because only Dean Winchester could be totally calm while bound and trapped in a room with Demons. **"We're gonna go home, bake some cookies, watch a movie, braid Sam's hair and everything's gonna be fine. I'm not gonna leave again and neither are you. You're gonna be okay, we all are."**

Aziza looked like she was going to smile back at Dean, believing his words and filled with hope that they would walk out of this building alive and together, but Crowley prowled across the room like a raccoon about to rummage through a new trash can, standing a few inches in front of the chair.

 **"Hello, dove."** He smiled at Aziza and she glared in return. **"Let's get acquainted. I'm Crowley, the rightful King of Hell. And you are Aziza, the special girl that means something to that walking tantrum you call a Devil."**

 **"What do you want?"** She asked, clearly irked by being kidnapped.

 **"Straight to business, eh? I like that."** The blonde narrowed her eyes, trying to mimic how menacing the Winchesters looked, and Crowley couldn't help but let out a chuckle. She was absolutely adorable. **"You see, darling, one of my Crossroads dealers, Rex was his name, spotted you a few years ago and he heard Lucifer's voice _screaming_ in his head to bring you to him. Of course, at the time, that little twat was still in the timeout chair where he belongs. Rex wasn't sure what to do, but he knew Daddy wanted you for some reason. So, like a good son, Rex kidnapped you and tried to figure out how to contact dear old Dad. Somehow, you turned into an inflatable sex doll and escaped. Rex stopped hearing that voice in his head. When he told me that, I thought he was cracked."**

Aziza was looking at Crowley half in confusion and half in realization. She remembered that day. She was still learning how to exorcise Demons and to use her power, without dying, so she and Gabriel went searching for a Demon for her to practice with. She managed to get kidnapped, but Gabe was anxiously watching her the entire time, waiting for the moment when Aziza needed him to step in. Once she felt like she couldn't get out of the situation on her own, Gabe was the one who decided to swap her with an inflatable sex doll while they escaped.

 **"Fast-forward a few years and another one of my minions, a little whore by the name of Cindy, is just passing through when she sees you. And guess what happens to her? Same thing that happened to Rex."** Crowley continued, bringing Aziza out of her memories. **"She calls and tells me that she hears Lucifer's voice in her head telling her to bring you to him. I ask her what Lucifer wants with this girl and Cindy says that she's stumbled upon Lucifer's Bride, that she and the rest of his children should be putting their lives on the line to protect their Queen."**

 **"I'm not their Queen."** The blonde declaimed.

 **"Tomato, tomatoe."** Crowley shrugged, making Aziza roll her eyes. **"After that, I thought to myself, 'Self, of all the beings ever made, which ones would have the skinny on everything revolving around love?' The answer was simple: Cupids. So, I found one.** **Agápios and I had a lovely chat, but I had to get elbow-deep in his mushy brain for him to finally remember anything about you."** The Demon tilted his head to the side as he examined Aziza. He was using his supernatural abilities, but he couldn't sense anything otherworldly about her. She just seemed to be Human. **"You are Lucifer's one and only Soulmate. A gift from Daddy for his favorite, I suppose. Unfortunately, Agápios expired before I could get more details. His replacement, Nayeli, filled in some blanks though."**

The color from Aziza's face drained a bit, her sympathetic side coming out due to hearing what Crowley did to a pair of Cupids. She knew Agápios, well, remembered him. He was a handmade gift to God from Aphrodite. There was not another Cupid like him. What she didn't know was that Agápios was one of the select few Cupids who assisted in constructing her. He was responsible for her having the ability to bond with her beloved. Cupids are absolutely _harmless_ and that's what broke Aziza's heart. Crowley butchered two of them for no reason, he murdered a pair of innocent beings just for information.

Aziza clenched her teeth together so tightly, she worried she might break her jaw as she glared at Crowley. **"Go to Hell."** She spat and the Demon's smile slowly started to fade away.

 **"Wish I could, but I can't step foot in the place anymore."** He said with irritation heavy in his voice. He turned his back to Aziza as rage began heating his veins. **"A King run out of his castle all because of that maddening, infantile, pain in my arse Archangel. He hops out of his Cage and all my Demons abandon their true King to flock to their so-called 'Father'! The little shite-stain tortures _one Soul_ a zillion years ago and everyone's going crazy over him! I torture _hundreds_ of Souls and I get disowned!"**

 **"You're pitching a bitch fit because Lucifer's outta lockup. 'Boo-hoo, Daddy's home and I can't sit in his chair or play with his grownup friends anymore.'** **Cry me a river, dude.** **"** She scoffed, rolling her eyes and tuning into her inner Gabriel, unfazed by Crowley's outburst. He turned to face her again and she cocked an eyebrow. **"You wanna pick a fight? You find Lucifer, _not me_."**

 **"And that's why you're here. You, my dear, have a direct line to that iconic little red man with a pitchfork and tail."** Crowley was back to smirking like a clever cat about to catch a mouse. **"Here's the plan: You're gonna call your boyfriend, invite him to our little soirée and when he gets here, I'm going into empty every bullet within the legendary Colt into his face."**

Dean and Sam looked at each other when Crowley said he had the Colt in his possession. They almost didn't believe him, but Crowley pulled one side of his suit jacket open and reached into the inner breast pocket to retrieve the legendary revolver. He even turned around and showed it to the brothers.

 **"I can't call him."** Aziza declared. She had no idea what the Colt was and it just looked like an old gun that cowboys would use. Even without knowing how powerful the revolver was, she highly doubted it could do anything to hurt or control Lucifer. He was a goddamn Archangel. It was going to take more than one little gun to do some damage. **"If you want him here so bad, summon him yourself and leave me alone."**

 **"Alright, dove."** Crowley sighed, almost sounding like he was giving up, and Aziza looked at him, surprised. He set the Colt down on her lap, earning another unimpressed eye roll from the blonde, and snapped his fingers. Instead of a tray housing a variety of torturous instruments, a sharp blade with a wavy shape, almost resembling a snake, appeared in his hand. Just seeing it made all of Aziza's sass fly out of the window. He put the tip of the knife to his finger and leisurely twirled it around, not pressing hard enough to draw blood. **"If you don't want to sing, I'll just have to make you squawk."**

 **"Crowley!"** Sam barked in an attempt to get the Demon's attention.

 **"Touch _one hair_ on her head and I'll skin you alive, you son of a bitch!" ** Dean growled.

 **"Quiet time, Moose. Same for you, Squirrel."** Crowley turned to the brothers and snapped his fingers. Whatever insults, threats or curses they were about to say were turned into unintelligible murmurs because their mouths were gone. That didn't stop them from trying to free themselves again, but Crowley was uninterested in the brothers. He faced Aziza again, catching her trying to free herself too. When she looked at him, he saw how big and glossy her doe-eyes were and smirked. **"Last chance, little dove. Sing Satan's favorite song for me?"**

 **"I don't know how to call him!"** She asserted, but Crowley only sighed at her words.

 **"I'm gonna have to carve into that pretty face of yours now."** He stepped closer to her, trailing the knife along her cheek and beginning to hear her quivering breaths. **"What a crying shame, a waste really."**

Crowley continued his game, making Aziza's fear rise higher and higher and ignoring the louder muffles of Sam and Dean, by skimming the blade along her skin. He wanted her to be scared out of her wits before he started carving into her, wanted to be able to see the beads of sweat running down her face and be able to hear her heart hammering against her chest. He knew it wouldn't take long for her to do what he wanted because she didn't look like she had a high pain tolerance. She was just a little lamb and he was the hungry coyote that wanted her for dinner.

Agápios had disclosed that Lucifer's Bride would always have a connection to him, that they shared something no other beings did. That's what made Crowley believe that, of anyone, Aziza would be able to get the Fallen Archangel's attention

Crowley was too busy being focused on where he wanted to start cutting first that he didn't immediately notice how Aziza's breath caught. It took a second, but the Demon realized that he couldn't hear her fearful little whimpers anymore, that she was no longer trembling beneath his blade. Curious, he took the knife off her skin and looked at her face to see if she was trying to hide how afraid she was.

To his surprise, he found a pair of glowing, lavender eyes shining at him.

That was strange. Neither Agápios or Nayeli mentioned anything about glowing eyes. Crowley wondered if this was what happened when the Soulmate was frightened.

His attention snapped upwards when the shattering of glass sounded. A body splattered on the floor like a balloon full of red paint, one half of it burned, the other half on fire, an eye missing and jaw clearly broken, but not detached. It was one of the Demons that Crowley had guarding the perimeter of the building and the fiend tried to speak to his boss, but whatever it said only sounded like teeth in a blender.

Crowley waved to the squad of Demons that kidnapped the Winchesters. Without a word, they slid the metal door to the side and went to go investigate what the hell was going on outside. Just a few moments after they left the room, agonized screams could be heard, a few words of begging for mercy and the ghastly sound of something being torn off a body.

 **"Sounds like the guest of honor has arrived."** Crowley smirked. Looking back at Aziza, her eyes still glowing, he retrieved the Colt from her lap and made sure the cylinder was loaded with bullets.

The Demons were still screaming for their lives in the hall and one of them sounded like they were violently choking on something. From the opened door, a bloody explosion was partially seen from the right side and the screaming stopped altogether. An eerie silence followed for a few beats, the kind of silence that would make a theater full of people hold theirs breaths in anticipation for a jump-scare on the screen, then steady footsteps sounded, a few squishing sounds here and there, then a body filled the entrance.

Lucifer's arms were covered in blood, droplets leaking from his fingertips, and his shirt was stained with splatters of plasma as well. His eyes were scarlet and threatening to ignite whatever he set his sights on. He looked like a lion, the King of the Pride out on a hunt, wearing the blood of his victims like medals of honor. He was not in the mood to be bothered with Demons that weren't his followers and they felt his wrath for getting in his way.

 **"Anyone ever tell you how lovely you look in red, Carrie?"** Crowley smiled like everything was just dandy, the Colt in his hand hidden behind his leg.

Even if he didn't understand that reference, Lucifer scowled in response as he stepped into the room.

He knew of Crowley. The Demon _thought_ he was the King of Hell, but everything changed when the Morning Star had risen. Most Demons swarmed to him, bowed down, pledged their perpetual obedience to their Father and were prepared to do whatever he asked. They turned their backs on Crowley without a moment's thought. And if anyone was throwing a tantrum here, it was the Demon. He was upset that he didn't have as many followers, that his position as monarch was revoked, that the Prince of Darkness has returned to reclaim his throne and he couldn't do anything about it.

Lucifer almost wasted a scoffed on how childish the Demon was being. Crowley was not a King and he never was. He was a Crossroads Demon that got a taste of what true power was and that's all he would ever amount to.

 **"Did he hurt her?"** The Morning Star levelly questioned. Crowley arched an eyebrow, his eyes squinting a bit, but Lucifer didn't even care for his presence. He turned to Sam and Dean, having felt his own and Michael's true Vessels as soon as he entered the warehouse. The Winchesters didn't answer, so slowly and clearly, he repeated, **"Did he physically harm her in any way?"**

The brothers looked to one another with skeptical glances, unsure of if Lucifer was the best thing they had in terms of their rescue team. They knew they still couldn't talk either, so a witty comment or insult wasn't an option.

Dean was favoring nodding to the Devil. If he couldn't torture Crowley himself, Lucifer would make him beg to be sent to Purgatory. He knew Lucifer wouldn't hurt Sam either. Endangering his true Vessel wouldn't be the smartest idea…then again, he could always resurrect Sam. That still left room for Dean to be at Lucifer's mercy. The Morning Star could kidnap Dean and lock him away where Michael or any other Angel wouldn't ever be able to find him and prevent the war with his brother without another proper Vessel for Michael to use. Dean wondered if Michael would show up to save his ass or pop up like Lucifer did because his Soulmate was panicking…just like Zachariah said.

Without another second of thought, Sam turned back to Lucifer and made the decision for them. He shook his head. He grunted, 'Help her' as best he could, jerking his head towards Aziza and the current state she was in. He didn't know what was going on with her at the moment because she couldn't be using her power, but whatever she was doing made Lucifer appear and that meant the Archangel knew how to fix her.

Lucifer looked to his Soulmate, seeing her glowing eyes for the second time. That was her way of calling _him_ for help, not Michael. That was their own, personal connection and the only way he'd be able to find her without having been bonded. When Aziza panicked, he literally heard her fearful whimpers, her cries, felt her terror, and he pinpointed her location within femtoseconds. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to get to her before she was hurt and that…scared him.

Being trapped in the Cage for so long without his Soulmate and only his thoughts to keep him company was unbearable. Not knowing if she was safe with one of his Princes or his true followers, if they even heard his message when they spotted her, unknowing if she was being maltreated, worrying over each and every possible thing that could happen to what he considered delicate and precious, drove him to insanity.

Of anyone, Lucifer had the most faith in Azazel to be the one to protect his mate. He was the most loyal of the four Princes, wanting to outshine his siblings and be Lucifer's favorite. Unfortunately, Azazel met his demise at the hands of Dean Winchester a few years ago and his other Princes still needed to be wrangled up.

Lucifer's only sources of woeful hope were when Aziza died. He could feel each of her deaths as if he were dying the same way she did. He hated when that happened and he screamed himself hoarse, punched at the bars imprisoning him until the bones of his hands were divested of skin, ripped his hair out of his scalp every time it did.

His Soulmate was trapped on Earth, so far away from his love and protection, _suffering_ without him.

Lucifer would gladly go up against an army by himself if it meant protecting his Soulmate from something as minor as a paper cut. He'd die a million times in a trillion different ways every day for the rest of his existence without a thought or care. He'd do it because he loved her more than he's ever loved anything, even more than his Father or his brothers.

Lucifer begrudgingly tore his eyes away from his beloved and to the _filth_ that not only had the audacity to steal her, to _touch her,_ but had intentions to torture her. That was a pointless task because without the proper memories, Aziza did not know how to call for him. She didn't even know how to free him from his Cage.

When he was initially released, Lucifer thought that his Soulmate was on a quest to break the Seals imprisoning him within his Cage, but he was wrong. His followers had informed him that Lilith, the first Soul he tortured in Hell, had been the one to break 65 Seals and Sam Winchester, his true Vessel, had broken the last one. Lucifer was proud of them both for their feats because now, he was free and he could be with his valentine once again.

But first, he was going to spiflicate this pathetic Demon. The thought of filling his insides with Khan Worms and watching him go insane, attacking all the Demons that decided to stay with him, would only serve the _beginning_ of Lucifer's wrath.

Lucifer's eyes were on Aziza from behind Crowley's frame. He couldn't help but be worried about her because she was still sending out that distress signal. When he heard a clicking sound, he looked to Crowley and cocked his head, doing the Angel Tilt or rather, the Archangel Tilt in this case, when he noticed the Demon was pointing a gun at his head.

Said gun just so happened to be the Colt and Lucifer needed that gun, it was part of his plan. Now that he knew who had it, all he had to do was take it away.

With a sinister smirk, Crowley pulled the trigger and a silver bullet flew from the Colt to sink into Lucifer's head, making it jerk back. Dean and Sam watched second Archangel drop to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Then, there was silence.

The boys were wondering if it was all over, if Crowley had really just killed the Devil and there was no Apocalypse looming in the near future. Without Cas, they didn't know if all the Angels in Heaven knew if Lucifer was dead and were celebrating or if Michael was going to be pissed off that someone else got to kill Lucifer.

But even without Castiel's divine abilities, they knew something was wrong.

When Angels die, their wings are burned into the ground and they didn't spot any wing-marks under Lucifer.

Crowley had an accomplished smirk on his face. He was beginning to feel like a god. He just killed an Archangel, the Father of Demons, and that was going to do _wonders_ for his reputation. Every Demon in the world would know that he was responsible for killing Lucifer and that would put the fear of their _true_ King into them. That's exactly what he wanted.

Crowley turned to Aziza, her eyes still glowing, and wondered what he should do with her now that Lucifer was out of the picture. He'd have his Demons study her, probably find another Cupid to interrogate. He wanted to know every single detail about Lucifer's Bride and Michael's Wrath.

Lucifer sighed as he sat up. **"That was just annoying."** Crowley slowly turned around as if he didn't believe the Archangel was still alive, yet there he was. Lucifer found where the bullet penetrated his skull and dug his fingers inside the wound to pull the slug out like it was nothing.

 **"There's only five things in all of creation that that gun _can't_ kill." ** He said as he stood. He examined the details of the bullet for a second, then he flicked it away. **"And I just happen to be one of them."**

Even without the ability to speak at the moment, Dean taunted 'You're in for it now, bitch.' to Crowley.

The former Crossroads Demon didn't seem afraid or nervous of being at the top of Lucifer's blacklist due to the attempt on his life. He was radiating self-assurance from the smug smirk on his face, the way his posture was totally relaxed as if he didn't have a care in the world. Lucifer considered banishing the little insect to Purgatory _after_ he tore him apart, atom by atom.

Crowley simply hummed at Lucifer and looked at the Colt in his hand. If the damned thing couldn't kill Archangels, the only thing it was good for was unlocking Devil's Gates. He'd find something to kill Lucifer and maybe the Colt could prove to be useful somewhere down the line.

Either way, he knew it was time to make a hasty exit.

With a snap of his fingers, Crowley set the entire building ablaze and the walls of the room they were in were easily coated with fire. Lucifer's attention snapped to Sam to see if the flames were near him and they weren't, but they were quickly consuming the space. He looked back at Crowley, but the cowardly Demon had already fled.

Lucifer released an irritated growl at Crowley's escape, but the growing fires proved to be more concerning. He would find Crowley and make him suffer in ways unimaginable, but not now. He had more important things to do now.

Lucifer went to his mate and choked back the jolt of nervousness he felt just by being in her presence again. His hand went to the top of her head and lightly rested atop her soft blonde hair. Aziza's lavender eyes dimmed before they drooped shut and she slumped in the chair. Lucifer quickly untied her and with all the gentleness in the word, cradled her in his arms.

With a snap of his fingers, he transported himself, Aziza and the Winchester brothers outside of the blazing warehouse and to a nearby field. The brothers were on their hands and knees, coughing and dry-heaving the smoke out of their lungs, struggling to breathe in the clean air; Lucifer had given them their mouths back. Their eyes were burning and they felt like they were cookies being overcooked in an oven. There was a hint of worry in Lucifer's eyes as he was concerned for Sam's wellbeing, but a quick scan of his Vessel's vital signs let him know that Sam would be okay.

Lucifer looked down at his unconscious mate still wrapped in his arms. He felt like she would never be in danger again so long as she was close to him and he never wanted to let her go. Delicately, he brushed away a few strands of hair that fell over her face and the tips of his fingers traced patterns on her cheek.

Before he got too lost in admiring her or the Winchesters could regain composure, Lucifer vanished into the night with Aziza.

* * *

Crowley returned to the Needham Asylum, his current base of operations since he couldn't go to Hell, with whatever Demons survived the hellish fire he created that gave him a moment to escape Lucifer. He was gripping the sleeves of his suit jacket to keep himself from losing composure and lashing out on the demonic followers he still had, but he knew he wouldn't be able to keep his cool for long.

The King of the Crossroads felt like Lucifer made a complete and utter fool of him tonight. Everything was going so well too. His Demons proved that they weren't utterly useless by kidnapping Michael's Wrath and Lucifer's Bride, then Castiel showed up and they managed to capture him too. The Winchesters didn't even need to be baited out of whatever stronghold they were tucked away in. Crowley had the true Vessels of Michael and Lucifer, the supposed Queen of Hell _,_ the one weapon in existence that could kill _anything_ and the Fallen Archangel had come running when his Bride called.

Everything was perfect until the goddamned Colt turned out to be nothing more than a novelty toy.

Crowley pulled the gun out of his suit's breast pocket as he walked along the halls of the Asylum, already thinking of another plan. He was curious to see how much damage bullets made from a melted Angel's Blade would do to a supernatural being, so he had his Demons get to work on the slugs while he was out. One of his minions caught up to him while he was headed for the basement and handed him a black pouch full of the silver projectiles.

Crowley didn't stop his stride as he removed the Colt's original bullets and replaced them with Angel Blade shells. He then tucked the gun into his pants pocket and removed his suit jacket, giving it to the Demon who was still following him. Once they went down the stairwell, they were in the basement where the solitary confinement cells were, these ones being reserved for the most deranged patients the Asylum held. Six inches of steel made the hatch doors and the inside of the cells only had lights and chains hanging from the dark ceilings.

There were four Demons posted at one cell and inside were two Angels being held captive.

Castiel was hanging from a hook dangling from an almost nonexistent ceiling. Around his wrists were handcuffs with Enochian sigils carved into them that prevented him from using any of his divine abilities. He stopped struggling to get free hours ago. Now, all of his attention was on the Angel dangling across from him.

Balthazar was shirtless and barefoot, streaks of blood staining his exposed skin. His usually tidy blond hair was untamed and it even looked like a few patches were missing. When the Demons threw Cas in here, he tried talking to Balthazar, but the Angel would not respond at all. After a long 20 minutes, he began to stir into consciousness.

And the first person he called for was Gabriel.

After that, it took a few more minutes for Castiel to get Balthazar to understand who he was and that they were captured by Demons. Slowly, but surely, the blond realized what was going on and where he was.

 **"How long have you been here?"** Castiel asked in a gentle voice, fearing that he'd put Balthazar in more pain if he spoke too loudly.

 **"No idea."** The blond Angel slurred. He could barely shake his head to display his unknowing. **"I was helping Gabriel...keep an eye on his big brother. Last time I saw you was...days ago."**

Castiel's dark brows pulled together, but all he could focus on was the feeling in his chest. It felt like his heart had just shattered. He knew it literally didn't happen, but it still felt like it. **"Balthazar...it's been almost 2 weeks since we last saw each other."**

The blonde didn't immediately comment after Cas spoke, making the younger Angel fill with more worry and anxiety. **"Ah...well, I suppose I've been here...about a week."**

 **"Do you know what Crowley wants?"**

 **"Lucifer dead...and the..."** Balthazar started chuckling and that almost advanced to a slightly crazed laugh, but he just didn't have the energy. He coughed and Cas flinched when the blond spit out a small wad of blood. **"Didn't know...that...overgrown tantrum had a girlfriend."**

Cas nodded, understanding what Balthazar was trying to say. Crowley wants Lucifer dead and he wanted to capture Aziza for some reason. He would ask Balthazar what the former Crossroads Demon wanted with the blonde later. For now, he suspected Crowley knew of her because of his Demons and the rumors going around that she was their Queen.

 **"Her name is Aziza. She's a very sweet and kind girl."** Cas explained to his bound comrade. **"She's the only Soulmate in existence and she's destined to bond with Michael or Lucifer. She is the reason why Lucifer was initially put in the Cage."**

 **"Michael didn't..."** Balthazar trailed off, but he went silent for a few seconds.

Like all Angels, he was inclined to believe that Michael was the big badass on campus, that he could be the next God. All this time, Balthazar was under the impression that Michael had single-handedly imprisoned Lucifer in his Cage, but now that he thought about it, why would the First Archangel do that? Michael had it drilled into his head that he was destined to kill Lucifer, so giving him a chance to live didn't seem right. Now that Castiel told him of this Soulmate, he understood Michael's motive back then. Aziza somehow convinced him not to smite his little brother. Balthazar wanted to meet the girl now. He'd never believe that there was anything in all of creation, other than his Father, that could deter Michael from his destiny, yet one Soulmate did.

The blond huffed, a smirk on his lips. **"Some Prince of Warriors he is."**

 **"We'll find a way out of here."** Cas told Balthazar, hoping to give the blond some hope. **"Dean and Sam know I left home. They'll come looking for me. And Gabriel must be worried about you. He's probably searching for you right now."**

Balthazar mumbled something in response, but Cas couldn't understand what he said. It almost sounded like a bit of Enochian, but he couldn't be sure. **"...do you...can you forgive me?"**

 **"There's nothing to forgive."** Cas shook his head, confused. Balthazar was not the reason why he was kidnapped. It was his own fault. He followed Aziza when she left and tried to get her to come back home, to Sam and Dean where they both belonged, but was ambushed by Demons.

 **"I left you...all alone."** Balthazar explained, his voice almost too low to hear. He slowly picked his head up and rested it on his bound arms to look Castiel in the eyes, his blue orbs resembling the mournful rainfall that came with a funeral. **"You're my little brother...just like we are to Gabriel...and I abandoned you..."**

 **"I forgive you, Balthazar."** The words flew out of Castiel's mouth the moment he realized what Balthazar was seeking forgiveness for. From the second Gabriel told him that Balthazar was alive and well, he wanted to forgive the blond for running off when he did. All he could ask for was that his brothers were alive and in one piece, he didn't need details or motives. In a way, Cas theorized that Balthazar was just following after his big brother, just as younger siblings tend to do. **"When we get out of here, we can go debauching like you wanted."**

Balthazar smiled at Cas, ignoring the pain that came with any movement he made. What he wouldn't give to spend a decade with Castiel and Gabriel, to act like brothers again. No faking deaths or worrying over Lucifer's rising or anything negative, simply brotherhood and the profound love that came with it.

The blond Angel went to say something, but he was rendered silent when the latch to the door began loudly clanking, signalling someone was about to enter their cell.

 **"Hello, girls. Sharing juicy gossip with one another while I was away?"** Crowley strolled in wearing an apron to protect his expensive suit from getting blood on it. Neither Angel said a word and their silence and hard, blue eyes made Crowley smile. He walked in front of Balthazar as one of the Demons guarding the cell rolled in a table holding all kinds of torturous devices. Balthazar knew some of them all too well. **"Balthazar, you know how this game goes."**

 **"This game isn't fun at all."** Balthazar commented, somehow managing to keep the sass he inherited from Gabriel up and running after a week of being tormented.

 **"Fun for me."** Crowley shrugged, evilly grinning. **"Now, be a good Angel and tell me why you were stalking Lucifer. I know you're not working for Heaven, so what was your motive? Who did you get orders from?"**

Balthazar irritably sighed and let his head loll back between his shoulders, exposing his neck without a care. **"For the millionth time...you ignorant waste of a shit stain, I wasn't...not working for anyone."**

Crowley reached over the Angel's shoulder to grab a handful of his hair and make Balthazar look at him, to see how much fury he held in his eyes due to his failed attempt at ending Lucifer's life. He almost scowled at the thought. **"And for the billionth time, you charming little cockroach, I don't believe you."**

 **"Fine, then...no sweat off my sack."** Balthazar shrugged.

Crowley narrowed his eyes at the Angel's resistance. He's been locked in here for a week, being exposed to Crowley's means of extracting information from supernatural beings, and yet, Balthazar did not break. The Angel had a story and he was rigorously sticking to it. Not once has Balthazar changed his story or yelled out something controversial that would lead Crowley to believe the Angel's been lying. Time and time again, Balthazar would say that he was not working for Heaven or under Michael's command and that the relationship between him and the pagan god wasn't even that, that the blond was trying to catch her attention.

Crowley sighed. He knew when a well was tapped out and it was due time to start digging for a new one. He turned to the table holding all the weapons he's used on Balthazar and ran his fingers over their handles, but he didn't pick one. His earlier idea came to mind and he pulled the Colt from his pocket. Since his back was to the blond, Castiel could see everything the Demon was doing and his entire body went rigid at the sight of Crowley loading bullets into the infamous Colt.

 **"I must tell you, Balthazar,"** Crowley said in that calmly malevolent tone. He gave the loaded cylinder on the gun a twirl and pushed it back into the frame, the click of it latching shortly echoing through the cell. **"Our time together has been absolutely delightful. I'll never forget you."**

Balthazar would've done the Angel Tilt if he had the energy to, curious about what Crowley was doing. He prepared himself for another torture session, but he's never witnessed Crowley use a weapon that made any noise. **"You breaking up with me?"**

 **"I suppose I am."** Crowley confirmed and finally turned around. He held the Colt up to let Balthazar see the weapon. **"You're of no use to me anymore and I hate lugging around worthless baggage."**

 **"Am I? Or you...it is 'cause Lucifer made you into his bitch in...with all your little fiends watching?"** The Angel questioned, his tone teasing. He was staring at the Colt, never having seen the weapon with his own eyes. He almost believed it wasn't real. His dull blue eyes met Crowley's dark ones and he chuckled at the rage the Demon was concealing. He heard about what happened tonight from the Demons keeping guard on the outside of the cell. Demons were known to be gossip whores. **"They're laughing at you, Crowley."**

 **"Balthazar, stop."** Cas desperately pleaded from across the room. He didn't know why his brother decided to provoke Crowley when the Demon had the Colt and they both knew that gun could kill every being in the room.

The blond Angel kept the smirk on his face. He was ignoring Castiel, but he heard the raven-haired Angel's words. Balthazar knew what was to come and he did not fear it, he welcomed it with open arms.

Balthazar mustered up some strength, just enough to puff out his chest a bit in a last act of defiance and fearlessness, before he continued taunting the King of the Crossroads. **"They say, you'll _never_ be their King. Some even...they think you're gonna beg Lucifer for mercy...'cause you're _pathetic_."**

As Balthazar weakly laughed, furthering his taunting of Crowley, the Demon remained silent. His eyes had narrowed and threatened to turn red, but he couldn't explode like he wanted to. That would be bad for his image, his Demons would think he was a walking temper tantrum just like Lucifer and abandon him.

Crowley raised the Colt and Balthazar looked him in the eyes, not daring to blink. The Angel still had a grin on his face which served to further irk the life out of the Demon. Crowley could hear Castiel trying to get his attention, but he ignored the other divine being. Without a word of warning, he pulled the trigger and Castiel let out what had to be the most heartbreaking, devastating wail that no one would ever hear as an Angel Blade bullet was fired into Balthazar's skull. The blond Angel's eyes glowed white as a burst of light erupted inside of him.

Crowley's killed his fair share of Angels and knew that the only way to know when one died would be by the burned wing-marks.

Crowley leaned to the side to look at the wall behind Balthazar and saw the long, charred imprint of the Angel's wings. Castiel could see them too and the sight made tears fall from his eyes like a never-ending downpour.

Balthazar was dead. The brother he just reunited with and was making up for lost time with had been murdered before his every eyes.

 **"Now, you're going to stay in here and look at his corpse until you feel chatty."** Crowley told Cas, turning to the remaining Angel. Castiel's breaths were ragged and when he took his tear-filled eyes off Balthazar to look at Crowley, he lost it. He screamed and thrashed, trying to break free from the restraints that bounded him. His efforts were for naught and Crowley smirked, walking to the door. **"Don't take too long or you'll end up just like him."**

* * *

 _I hope you guys to see the Season 13 premier episode on Thursday.  
_  
 ***Minor Spoilers*** _I loved it, can't wait to see how Jack's character progresses and what will happen between Mary and Lucifer. To me, it seemed like he was implying he'd put a baby in her just to get back to his son XD_


	24. Did You Forget What We Shared?

Lucifer was sitting on a loveseat in the sole bedroom of his lavish hotel suite, his blue eyes locked on his valentine. He's warded the suite against Angels and Michael because the last thing he needed was for his brother to come breaking the door down and making a scene.

There was a squad of Demons keeping guard in the hallway and a pair of them were posted at either side of the front door, waiting for whatever orders their Father had for them. A few of them were out buying things for Aziza, clothes and other items she'd need while she was with him.

Speaking of the blonde, Aziza was laid out on the Alaska king-size bed, which almost swallowed her whole because it was big enough to fit three or four people. She hasn't woken up since Lucifer transported them to his hotel and he's been intently watching her ever since, worried that something might be wrong with her.

In her past lives, she's used that same distress signal to call for his help and she would be exhausted after he got her out of harm's way, but it's been so long since he's last seen her. His worry over her was spiking through the roof and he didn't have much of a choice on what to do, so he simply waited and watched her.

After another unbearable minute of no kind of reaction from her, Lucifer had to get on his feet and pace in front of the bed. There was nothing on this planet that could make him keep still. He was wringing his hands and trying to think if there was something he could do to help his mate. He knew there wasn't much he could do and that only increased his worry and made him a little aggravated. He hated how he had the power to help her, but he still _couldn't._ He thought back to times where Aziza had gotten hurt and sustained a minor injury of some sort, but he would think it was dire. He'd wrap her in his arms and use his Grace in an attempt to heal her, but it would be for naught. He reasoned that without them being bonded, he couldn't heal her like she could him. He hated that he could never take her pain away.

Lucifer stopped making a rut in the carpeted floor when he heard the tiniest groan and his attention snapped to the bed. Aziza's eyes were fluttering open and he watched her wince a bit, her hand coming up to rub her head. He went to the side of the bed and got on his knees to be leveled with her, observing her expression and steadily worrying that something was making her brain hurt.

 **"** **Aziza?"** He gently called and took her free hand between both of his. It took a moment for her to respond, but he heard her mumble something, Sam and Dean's names.

Aziza's azure eyes finally opened and the haze cleared from them, allowing her to see clearly again. She let out another little groan as the throbbing behind her eyes pulsed a few more times, then dulled away until it was gone. She let out a little sigh and looked around, expecting to be back at the cabin with Sam, Dean, Castiel and Gabriel. She looked to the right and saw someone there, a man. She furrowed her brows and blinked to 'switch' her eyes to see if the man before her was a Demon, but he had no tortured black Soul.

Instead, there was a light burning inside of the skin he was wearing. It's white, celestial brightness resembled that of a planet-sized sun. Aziza almost smiled, thinking the first person she'd see was her sweet Sam and his distinguishable Soul, but she noticed the pair of blue eyes staring back at her and the blond hair, the reddened scars littering the man's face. Her eyes went wide when she realized who the man was and she unknowingly squeezed Lucifer's hand.

He gave her hand a tender squeeze back, thinking she was nervous due to being kidnapped by Demons. **"** **You're safe now, everything's okay."**

Everything _was not_ okay. Aziza snatched her hand from Lucifer's embrace and scrambled backwards on the bed until she fell off the other side of it with a little yelp, quickly getting back on her feet just as Lucifer came around the other side.

 **"** **Get away!"** She commanded, confused as to why the hell she was with _Lucifer_ and not the Winchesters. The closest thing to her was a floor lamp and she grabbed it, yanking the plug from the socket and pointing it at Lucifer as if she were an Amazonian warrior wielding a sharp spear. The Fallen Archangel looked at her with a puzzled, yet amused expression. **"How did- when did- why am I...what…you-"**

 **"** **Aziza, please calm down."** Lucifer soothed, not liking how frantic his mate was. **  
**

 **"** **Don't tell me to calm down! You kidnapped me!"** She countered, jabbing him in the chest with the lightbulb on the end of the lamp for emphasis. Lucifer had to bite back a smirk at her zaniness. **"What did you do to Sam and Dean?"**

 **"** **Nothing. I came to you when you called and I got them out of harm's way. They're fine.** **We're staying at the Mandarin Oriental in New York.** **"** He informed her, hoping to calm his mate with his soft tone and compliance. Aziza looked to be processing that information, so Lucifer tried to take a step closer to her, but she jabbed him with the lamp again and he stopped as she took a step back. He was truly confused now, unknowing why his valentine was behaving in such a way. **"I'm not going to hurt you, Aziza."**

 **"** **That's what kidnapping serial killers say."** She sassed with narrowed eyes. **  
**

 **"** **You called me, valentine.** ** _You_** **summoned** ** _me_** **. You cried out for my help and I came. Crowley would've tortured you if I didn't."** Lucifer reminded her, guessing that she didn't remember when she called for him. That was the only explanation as to why she seemed so distrustful of him. Aziza didn't seem to care about what he just said because she didn't ease her grip on the lamp and she honestly looked like she wanted to stab him to death with it. Lucifer almost pouted. **"How can I make you comfortable?"**

 **"** **By letting me go."** He went to say something, but he couldn't. He didn't want to keep Aziza here against her will, but he couldn't just let her run off. Michael could find her or she could be hidden from his sight again. Lucifer lightly sighed and that made the blonde huff. **"But you're not because you're just like Michael. You wanna keep me here and try to butter me up, so you can use me to start the Apocalypse. Both of you are insensitive assholes and I want you to** **leave me alone! Stay away from me!"** She yelled at him and jabbed him in the chest again, this one hard enough to make him take a step back. **  
**

Aziza's words were like vats of acid being hurled at Lucifer, but instead of burning his already bruised skin, the corrosive liquid scorched his vulnerable heart. After all the decades he's spent in the Cage alone, the only thing Lucifer really wanted to do when he was freed was find a Vessel, then his Soulmate. He wanted to gaze upon her beautiful face and see that perfect smile of hers. He wanted to hold her close to him and never let her go, wanted her to feel his Grace contently thrumming because of her presence.

His mate did not want him and that made Lucifer feel like an outcast, made him remember how things were in Heaven before his fall. Then, she went and compared him to Michael, letting Lucifer know that she heeded his warning when they spoke in her dream, but he didn't want her to think he was anything like his brother.

Against the pain of rejection, Lucifer nodded at her request and quietly left the bedroom of the hotel suite. When the door closed behind him, Aziza dashed across the room to lock it, but facepalmed. Lucifer was a goddamn Archangel, he could just zap into the room or break the door down if he wanted.

A lightbulb clicked on over Aziza's head. Lucifer was an Archangel and she was the Soulmate, something divine and of Heaven's creation. Just like Gabriel taught her, she shut her eyes to concentrate on her thoughts and the place she wanted to go: the cabin. When she opened her eyes, she groaned when she saw that she was still in the hotel suite. She suspected Lucifer warded the suite to keep his brother or other Angels from knowing where he was.

Aziza looked at the locked door again and thoughts of keeping Lucifer away from her echoed in her mind. If she couldn't get out of here using her power, she was going to walk right out the front door.

 **SN*SN*SN*SN***

 **"** **Lucifer!"** The Morning Star was on his feet the second heard Aziza call him.

He was sitting in the living room and contemplating how he could get his mate to trust him. He thought of giving her flowers and his Demons insisted that chocolate makes all women happy, so he was prepared to find the finest chocolate on the planet for her, but it seemed like she calmed down.

Lucifer briskly crossed the room and found that the bedroom door was cracked open a little. He slipped inside and found his valentine across the room. He took a few careful steps into the room, but Aziza didn't yell at him or tell him to leave. He noticed that she was blinking more than usual, but he didn't pay any mind to it. His mate was allowing him to be in the same room as her, granting him permission to be near her, and that's all he could ask for.

 **"I'm going home."** Aziza declared when Lucifer was about a leg's-length away from her. **  
**

She stepped to the side and on the wall behind her was the Angel Banishing sigil, drawn in her own blood. Lucifer tried to get a word in, but she slammed her hand down on the sigil. In a burst of blinding light, Lucifer was banished from the suite, his echoing scream fading away as the light dimmed. Instantly, a squad of Demons threw the door open and rushed inside, only to be stopped in the middle of the room. The five imprisoned Demons looked under their feet, but the trap wasn't painted there. With hisses and growls, their heads shot upwards and there was a perfectly drawn Devil's Trap on the ceiling.

Usually, Aziza would have gotten each Demon out of the poor Humans they were possessing and fried their asses back to Hell, but she didn't have time. That banishing sigil would only keep Lucifer away for so long and she did not want to be anywhere near this place when he got back.

Aziza ran out of the luxurious suite and down the halls of the hotel. She almost crashed into a few people, but she didn't stop running until she was out on the bustling streets of New York. She spotted a food cart and asked for a few packets of salt from the vendor. It wasn't much, but it was _something_ to keep the Demons away.

Aziza looked around at the lofty buildings and mobs of people crowding the sidewalks. She and Gabriel have stayed in the Big Apple a few times, but not enough for her to know where anything was. Of course, she knew where Times Square was, the Statue of Liberty and a dessert shop in Queens that Gabriel loved going to, but that was it. She didn't have a single care towards the fact that she was partially lost and alone. Gabriel had told her that she couldn't panic in times like these. With them traveling so much, he made sure she memorized all the airports or train stations within the area because there'd be a locker there with essentials for her in case they were on the run.

Searching her memory for a second, she remembered the nearest means of extended transport was the John F. Kennedy Airport. She was going to get home to Dean, Sam, Gabriel and Castiel. Then, she was going to find the Crowley and throw him into a goddamn crocodile pit. She didn't give a damn that he kidnapped her, she wanted him to be punished for what he did to Agápios and Nayeli. **  
**

Aziza hailed a taxi with such ease that a native New Yorkian would be green with envy and asked her driver to take her as far away from the hotel as he could. She kept her head down under the window for fear of being spotted by a Demon on the street and constantly asked her driver to take shortcuts just in case they were being followed.

With her paranoia at its peak, Aziza warily eyed the man driving the cab. She ripped open one of the salt packets and threw the grains into the man's short tawny hair. She had the handle of her door in a death-grip, prepared to tuck-and-roll if she had to, but the man simply scratched his ear. He didn't hiss or growl or anything.

She was still suspicious.

She opened the rest of the salt packets and emptied them into the palm of her hand as a precaution.

 ** _"_** ** _Christo."_** She whispered, her voice loud enough to be heard over the muffled traffic. She stiffened when the driver glanced at her in the rear-view mirror, but his eyes remained peanut-borwn.

 **"** **You say somethin'?"**

 ** _"_** ** _Christo."_** She repeated, leaning towards the bulletproof glass separating them as they stopped at a red light, but flinching back when her cabbie turned around to look at her.

Aziza never looked away from his eyes, waiting for the second they darkened so she could throw a handful of salt in his face. Still, the cabbie didn't recoil or hiss at her, his eyes remained brown and Aziza sighed in relief, slumping into the pleather seat. She didn't care that the man was looking at her with concern, probably thinking she was one of the many screwball people inhabiting the Big Apple.

 **"My name's** **Chris..."** He told her, skepticism in his eyes. Aziza glanced down to the wall before her and read the identification poster, confirming that the driver's name was indeed Christopher and he had the face to match the picture. **"The meter's runnin'. Anywhere specific you wanna go?"**

 **"** **JFK Airport."**

 **"** **Gotcha."** Chris nodded and turned around just in time to pull off with the green light.

As they drove, Aziza found herself humming _The Song That Doesn't End_ and just thinking about the big dork that was Dean Winchester made her relax a little. She suddenly realized that she could call one of the brothers for help and she started frantically patting herself down for her phone, but stopped. She left her phone at the cabin…with Gabriel's bracelet. She thought she was doing the right thing by leaving because she valued family. Sam and Dean were the only family they had and she couldn't stand the thought of her being the reason for their separation.

And Gabriel…she'd started to feel like such a heavy burden on the Archangel's shoulders lately. God had dropped her off on his third son's doorstep with a prophecy and the Archangel had no say in taking care of her. He's been busting his ass, threatening to expose that he wasn't really dead, just to keep her safe, to learn about her and to do something about the divination his Dad threw in his face. She had no say in being the Soulmate, but that didn't mean Gabriel had no choice but to look after her. Aziza felt like she changed Gabriel's celestial existence completely and she just wanted him to be free of her and the world-ending baggage that she carried.

 **"** **S'none of my business or anything…"** Chris spoke up after about 20-minutes of driving, glancing into the rear-view mirror. His brows furrowed in confusion when he didn't see his fare in the backseat, but the blonde's head poked up enough for him to see her. Aziza was all but squatting in the small space between the wall and backseat to keep from being seen from spying eyes on the street, but she glanced at him to let him know she was listening. **"Tell me to shut up I'm if being nosy, but are you runnin' from something?"**

 **"** **No…well, not exactly…kinda."** Aziza sighed, wondering what in the world Lucifer could be doing to try and find her. He said that Sam and Dean were okay, but how could she believe anything he said? He was the Father of Lies for a reason.

 **"** **Cops?"** Chris asked, sending another glance to the mirror; Aziza was lying on her stomach across the backseats now.

 **"** **No."**

 **"** **Stalker boyfriend?"**

 **"** **Nope."**

 **"** **Abusive ex-husband?"**

 **"** **Never been married."**

 **"** **Parents?"**

 **"** **I wish."** She lightly scoffed, smiling at the rapid fire questions. She wished she could have conventional problems like wanting to rebel against overbearing parents, but she had to deal with Archangels and Demons instead.

They came to another red light and Chris watched as Aziza carefully raised her head high enough so that only her eyes could peek out of her window. She scanned the streets and the people voyaging along the crosswalk, but none of them looked out of the ordinary or had black eyes.

 **"** **You wouldn't believe me if I told you."** She told Chris, sinking down under the window as the cab began moving again.

 **"** **I'm a cabbie, heard lots of things you wouldn't believe. Try me."** Chris challenged, but Aziza seriously doubted any of his passengers have ever had a story like hers. But, what the hell?

 **"** **Lucifer."** She told him clearly. Chris angled the mirror so that she could see his disbelieving eyes. He obviously wasn't prepared to hear something like _that_.

 **"** **You're on the run from the guy with horns and pitchfork?"** Chris questioned and Aziza shook her head at that common misconception.

 **"That's Satan _._** ** _Lucifer_ isn't a little red man with horns and a tail. ****He's an Angel to some and a Demon to others.** **He can be the most beautiful thing anyone has ever seen because he's the only Fallen Archangel and he used to be God's favorite son. He's the Father of Lies, Master of Seduction, Tempter of Mankind and Prince of Darkness, but he also bears the brightest light anyone could ever imagine because he is the Morning Star."**

Aziza didn't say another word when she realized that she just mindlessly defended Lucifer and the way she described him, how she could've chattered on and on like he was someone she admired or even liked…

Aziza didn't like that thought at all. She wasn't supposed to like _anything_ about Lucifer. Well, technically, she was supposed to love him, but that wasn't going to happen either. If she was being honest with herself, there was something about his Grace that felt familiar to her, _too_ familiar. And his voice was…comforting. She'd never admit it to anyone, but she may have enjoyed hearing him talk, even if it was just those few words before she told him to stay away from her. That's another reason why she wanted him to keep his distance. She was calming down because of his gentle words and she didn't like that. As much as she didn't like the feelings, she wasn't scared by them like she thought she'd be. She had the best case of Stockholm Syndrome anyone's ever heard of.

 **"** **Someone use you as a sacrifice and you ain't holdin' up your end of the deal?"** Chris asked and Aziza, shook her head again as she carefully peered out of the window to see where they were.

 **"** **It's worse than that. See, Lucifer isn't actually Satan. Everyone just calls him that because he was the first Archangel to fall from Heaven and he tortured a Soul, thus creating Demons."** Aziza retold a tidbit from one of Gabriel's summarized versions of how his big brother fell from grace and what he did before he was trapped in Hell. Unknown to her, Chris had one hand under his seat and was palming the Kel-Tec P3AT strapped there. **"I've been being raised by Gabriel, he's the third Archangel and he's awesome. He told me that I'm basically destined to be Lucifer's Bride and an in another life, my Soul…spirit…whatever was probably in love with him, but that wasn't** ** _this_** **me. I don't wanna be mated to him, but God decided to be a dick and made me his Soulmate. Lucifer's just gonna use me to get his true Vessel, which is a guy named Sam Winchester, to consent to his possession 'cause Angels have to have permission from the Human before they hop in a body. And if Lucifer gets Sam's consent, he's gonna end the Human race and destroy the Earth."**

Aziza sucked in a quick breath after that little speech. She actually felt a little better now that she got to get it all out. Who knew a cab driver could be such a good therapist? She looked in the mirror and Chris was already staring at her. He looked more apprehensive than incredulous now and Aziza just realized that she must sound like a goddamn cultist with her ramblings about Demons and the Archangel most Humans refer to as the Devil.

 **"** **Maybe you should try Zoroastrianism or even Jainism instead of Satanism."** Even Chris' tone was guarded, as if he thought that one word might make her lunge and attack.

 **"** **I** ** _am_** ** _not_** **a Satanist. I actually used to believe in Christianity and God. In another life, I was a goddamn Nun who** ** _lived_** **by the book."** She argued, flabbergasted, as she tried to keep her mouth from falling open in disbelief. She thought Chris was actually _listening_ to her, but the only thing he heard was 'I love Satan'. **"I was all about praising the Lord and whatnot until I learned that most Angels are dicks and God is the big kahuna of dicks. And did you not hear me when I said that Lucifer isn't Satan? He's the second** ** _Archangel_** **."**

Chris stopped the car then, pulling up to the curb. He put the cab in park, then fully turned around to face Aziza. There was a speck of worry in his eyes, but he was probably worried about his own wellbeing, and if he was going to get paid, because there was a crazy girl in his cab.

 **"** **Listen, kid. You marrying the Devil ain't gonna solve whatever problems you got."**

 **"** **I don't- ugh, forget it. You think I'm crazy anyway."** She groaned. **"Just take me to the airport, so I can go home please."**

Chris didn't say another word for the rest of the drive to the airport. When they arrived there, Aziza explained that she had to go to the lockers to get his fare and she even asked him if he wanted to come with her just to make sure she wasn't trying to rip him off, but Chris told her that he didn't want her money. As soon as she got out of his cab, he was flying down the street and he turned his top sign off.

Aziza made her way to the airport's lockers and in her sneaker was a short, silver key made to unlock any one of her airport lockers in the States. She opened locker 529 and found a backpack inside. It was filled with clothes, a passport, 700 dollars in $50s, $20, $10s and $5s and a Hex bag to keep her warded from both Demons and Angels. There was no way Lucifer would be able to find her now.

Aziza wore the Hex bag like a bracelet, keeping the sack tightly clenched in her hand. She spent all her cash on the last ticket for a nonstop flight to Colorado Springs, ran through the building until she found gate 23 and boarded the ready-for-takeoff plane. Gabriel would have a stroke if he found out that she was flying in anything less than First Class, but she wasn't complaining about her Premium Economy seat.

For the entire 6 hours that the plane was in the air, Aziza didn't doze off and she was slurping down cups of coffee to keep from falling asleep. She was still drained from doing whatever she did that made Lucifer come to her rescue, but she didn't even know how she did that. All she remembered was freaking out because Crowley was about to torture her, then she woke up at that hotel with Lucifer. He said that she called him, that she summoned him to her location, but how? She'd have to ask Gabriel about it because she did not want it happening again.

It had to be going on 3AM when the plane was landing at Colorado Springs Airport and Aziza's eyes were reddening from exhaustion, but she refused to rest or relax until she was back at the cabin where she'd be safe. She let all the other passengers leave before she got off the plane. When she got inside the airport, there were a few stray chauffeurs waiting to pick up someone and they all perked up, displaying their signs with names on them, when she came out. She picked the driver who looked the friendliest and he was waiting on someone named Victoria Crane. The brunet introduced himself as Steven.

Steven carried Aziza's little backpack to the trunk of his Lincoln continental Limousine with tinted windows, making pleasant small talk along the way. He courteously opened her door and she climbed in. She's never be in a limo before, not even when Gabriel took her out. There was a mini-bar inside and she knew she looked old enough to have alcohol now, so she wanted to try a drink.

 **"Champagne?"** A male asked, startling Aziza.

Her first thought was that Steven was talking to her though an intercom and as she looked around for the speaker, she found another person sitting on the long side seats. It wasn't Steven though. It was Crowley and he had a flute of champagne in his hand. Aziza's hand went to her door, but it refused to open no matter how hard she pulled. Crowley took a swig of his glass, set it down, then let an Angel Blade slide out of his sleeve.

 **SN*SN*SN*SN**

Crowley was relaxing in the limo, periodically sipping at his champagne as he scrolled through the messages on his phone and responding to the ones that needed his attention. He glanced to the body on the floor of the car.

A puddle of blood was underneath Aziza's corpse and an Angel Blade was going through her back to her heart. Crowley was waiting for something...well, magical to happen. This was the only Soulmate in existence, after all. The least he expected was to hear Lucifer screaming, but nothing's strange happened since he killed her.

 _ **"We've arrived, sir. The Archangel is still in place."**_ Steven informed him from the hidden intercom. _**  
**_

The limo came to a stop shortly after and Crowley pocketed his phone before reaching over to pull the Angel Blade from Aziza's corpse. He even poked her in the leg with it, but still got nothing spectacular in response. The door opened and one of his Demons, disguised as a chauffeur, was there.

 **"Clean that up."** Crowley instructed Steven, motioning to the body in the car, and buttoned his suit jacket as he looked around at the entrance to the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park in Tulare County, California. There was a Ranger Station a few feet away from him and a pair of Demons were on the porch, disguised as the forest officials.

Crowley nodded at the setup and at the fact that his Demons didn't screw everything up for once. He snapped his fingers and was deeper into the National Forest where General Sherman stood tall and mighty.

Sitting in the grass a few feet from the tree was Gabriel. Just like he told Sam and Dean, he went to California and has been waiting for Aziza ever since. Every minute that passed and she wasn't reborn only served to bring tears to his eyes. He couldn't imagine what was happening to her right now. She could be hurt and crying out for help or a monster could have her tied up somewhere for a midnight snack. The worst scenario was that Michael or Lucifer had her in their clutches, but Gabriel was only half worried about that.

If Michael found his Soulmate, there was no doubt in Gabriel's mind that all of the Angels in Heaven would be rejoicing on Angel Radio, they'd be singing hymns of praise and of Lucifer's impending demise at the hands of Michael. Things were pretty quiet at the moment, so Gabriel pushed the thought aside.

If Lucifer had Aziza, everyone would be in the dark until the Apocalypse started without warning. Or, Lucifer would get cocky and march to Heaven's gate with his Demons and bring the war to Michael. Gabriel only hoped that if Lucifer had his Soulmate and they bonded that he would be able to find Aziza at some point. He'd try to talk to her and make her remember him, how much she cherished life. He would do everything in his power to get his favorite blonde back and try to fix the world that his brother wanted to destroy.

But for now, all Gabriel could do was anxiously wait for her to fall.

 **"** **Gabriel, isn't it?"** Crowley questioned from a safe distance away from the Archangel. Instantly, Gabriel was on his feet. **"You're the third one with the horn. Messenger of God, if I'm not mistaken."**

Gabe's eyes narrowed in perplexity. He knew that Crowley was a Demon and the fiend had to know he was in the presence of an Archangel. Lucifer's creations were smart enough to keep their distance from something as powerful as him. **"** **What are you doing here, Demon?"**

Crowley innocently shrugged, smirking. **"** **Is it illegal to want to see the largest living** **sequoia tree on Earth? Just because I'm a Demon means I can't go sight-seeing?"**

Gabriel drew his Angel Blade and began stalking towards Crowley, his intentions lethal. He was not in the mood to joke around when he had no idea where Aziza was, if Lucifer had managed to make her remember her past lives and bonded with her, if the goddamn Apocalypse was starting.

The Demon remained in his spot, unmoved by Gabriel's hostility. When the Archangel was just barely 2 feet away, Crowley snapped his fingers and a ring of Holy Fire burned around Gabriel, trapping him. Almost inaudibly, Crowley let out a sigh. His Demons did very good with the setting up of his plan, not a single thing out of place. Speaking of his minions, 10 of them appeared to protect their boss just in case Gabriel found a away to get out of the Holy Fire.

 **"** **In my time with** **Nayeli, there was a recurring detail she said about the Soulmate.** **I've written it down. Don't go anywhere.** **"** Crowley told Gabriel as he began patting himself down for the paper.

While Crowley was distracted, Gabriel was thinking of a way to get out of this godforsaken Holy Fire ring. Clearly, this was a trap that Crowley was waiting for him to walk into and he may have figured out what happened to Aziza. The Demon may have her, might've kidnapped her when she fled the cabin. He knew Dean and Sam were going to go out looking for her, so maybe Crowley had the Winchesters bound and gagged in some dark place with her.

Crowley finally found the paper he was looking for and unfolded it, clearing his throat before he began reading the lines.

 **"** **She sleeps within the stars and awaits Her fate  
Only to be awaken when the Seals break**

 **A love for brothers, their hearts intertwined  
But Her beloved is Her demise**

 **She will fall in the night, a saving grace  
A paramount of divinity with a dove's grace"**

Crowley rolled his eyes at how mushy he sounded and crumbled the paper in his hand, throwing it in the Holy Fire to burn. Before he killed her, the last thing Nayeli kept repeating were those six lines and he had no idea what she meant. He was now waiting for Gabriel to provide an answer, to elucidate or throw him a goddamn bone, but the Archangel remained silent.

Gabriel's never heard a Cupid say anything like that, but he just realized that Nayeli was probably the key to a lot of unanswered questions. Maybe she was one of the Cupids who helped make Aziza or she could've been one that watched over her in her first lives. Crowley was the reason why she didn't meet him in Ohio. He kidnapped her and made her tell him what she knew about the Soulmate.

Gabriel was experienced with getting Cupids to remember things his Father locked away from them and he knew it was a delicate process. The first few times he talked to a Cupid, their heads _literally_ exploded the second they remembered anything about Aziza. It was like God's security system had been tripped. Since then, Gabe's learned how to get around his Father's security measures. Crowley probably tortured Nayeli for the information she gave him because that's what Demons were known for, torture and brutality.

 **"** **I'm not a big fan of riddles or poetry. Care to elucidate?"** Crowley requested, making Gabriel scowl at him. **  
**

 **"** **It means, go to the darkest corner of space, jump in a black hole and maybe you'll find the last fuck I ever gave."**

Crowley chuckled. Being acquainted with Gabriel's sass reminded him of the first day Balthazar was captured and how the blond was relentless was his snarks and taunts.

Before the Demon could call Gabe a cheeky monkey, the ground around them began to quake and Gabriel's eyes were glued to the sky, praying that one of his brothers was descending to Earth and not her. The lavender light cascading over the forest told him exactly who was arriving and he cursed under his breath as her comet came closer and closer. As she neared, Gabriel watched as six of the ten Demons that appeared drop to their hands in knees in prostrate positions, while the others simply gawked until the shrill whine sounded. The standing Demons began screaming at the sound, blood oozing out of their ears, until they collapsed to their knees, some dead and others incapacitated.

 **"** **She will fall in the night, a saving grace. A paramount of divinity with a dove's grace."** Crowley repeated as the lavender hue dimmed away, now understanding what the Cupid was saying. **  
**

He strolled over to the tree where the comet landed, not caring about his dead or wounded Demons, and circled it until he found the cranny. Before he could investigate what was inside, a blonde baby girl wearing a white dress crawled out of the trunk and had a starry blanket tangled around her little foot. Crowley's brows raised in surprise. In all his years of demonic life, he's never witnessed something like this, but the puzzle pieces were falling into place. He wanted to see something spectacular relating to the Soulmate and he got his wish.

 **"** **Hello, darling. Aren't you just adorable?"** Crowley smiled as she picked Aziza up and settled her on his arm, walking back to Gabriel. **  
**

**"** **Leave her alone!"** Gabriel fiercely barked, but Crowley was unintimidated. **  
**

Unlike the last time Aziza was revived and turned into a baby, she was not smiling. She was staring up at Crowley's face, seeing through the skin he wore to his demonic, red Soul. Even as an infant and unknowing of Demons, his true form didn't scare her. She may have been a little shocked, but not afraid. She was simply confused. With her being born again just moments ago and with no memories, she couldn't remember His words, but she was programmed to know that _Angels_ were supposed to be the first beings she saw, just like God said before He left her with Gabriel.

Aziza looked over Crowley's shoulders, instinct telling her to look for his wings, but she found nothing behind him. The next thing she did was look at her surroundings and her attention was pulled to the ring of Holy Fire keeping the third Archangel immobilized. She saw Gabriel's golden wings, glowing with an amber undertone due to the fire surrounding him, and let out an incomprehensible babble, almost as if she were asking Gabriel what the heck was going on.

 **"** **Do you like the Archangel, little dove?"** Crowley asked the tiny blonde, lightly bouncing her on his arm. Aziza hummed this time, her attention still on Gabriel, and the Demon took that as her answer.

 **"** **Please…don't hurt her."** Gabriel pleaded, understanding that threats and harsh tones wouldn't make the situation better. His eyes were on Aziza, so innocent in her infant form. Her azure eyes never left him and he felt like she wanted him to go over there and take her out of Crowley's arms. Gabe's head dropped a bit and he shut his eyes, knowing what he had to do. **"Take me instead. Torture me, do whatever you want, just don't hurt her."**

 **"Deal."** Crowley immediately agreed, not one to pass on the deal of the century. **  
**

**SN*SN*SN*SN***

Dean pulled the Impala to a stop at the entrance of the Sequoia National Park at around 3:45 AM, having drove nonstop to California from Colorado, and got out, jogging to catch up with Sam who'd already picked the lock to the ranger station. When Dean stepped inside the station, he almost tripped over a pair of bodies piled on the floor. They were Rangers and he looked to Sam, seeing his brother wiping the blood off of the Demon-Killing Knife as he headed towards the desk. Sam staked the knife into the wood and rummaged around the drawers in search of a map and flashlights, quickly finding both.

When they left the ranger station, Dean was trying, and failing, to keep up with Sam, who was using his long legs to their fullest potential. Every step that Sam took was equivalent to four of Dean's footfalls and the brunet wasn't making any moves to slow down anytime soon.

Dean couldn't help but stare at his brother. After Lucifer got them to safety, then took off with Aziza to who knows where, Sam has been stuck in G.I. Joe mode. He was going to stop at nothing to find Aziza and bring her back home, which is why he told Dean to drive them to California. He even said that he felt like it was only a matter of time until Lucifer ended up getting the blonde killed and that comment earned a slightly surprised look from Dean, but he understood what was going on in his little brother's head.

The boys were almost to their destination within the National Park. Sam's kept his flashlight on the ground to see the map and where he was going while Dean was looking around the park, having the spine-tingling feeling that they were in a horror flick and something gruesome would pop out of the bushes to slaughter them. Another 15-minute hike and the brothers were looking up at the largest living sequoia tree.

 **"** **Is this it?"** Dean questioned. **  
**

Sam shone his flashlight on the sign a few feet away from them. **"** **Sign says it's General Sherman and** **Gabriel said it was the largest tree in the world. This is it."**

 **"** **It's a big park, Sam. Maybe Gabriel got the name wrong.** **Maybe the tree's named Major Payne or something.** **"** Sam didn't respond to Dean's comment as he walked towards the tree. He circled twice before he found the cranny he remembered Gabriel taking an infant Aziza out of, but the crevice was empty. **  
**

Sam looked around the area and tried to find something that would give him a clue as to where Aziza could've gone and Gabriel too. The Archangel all but vowed to wipe any and all memories of Aziza from the Winchester's memories when he found the blonde and Sam had no doubt that Gabe wouldn't live up to his word. However, Gabriel didn't pop in on them again and Sam still remembered everything about Aziza.

 **"** **Sam."** Dean called a few feet from the tree, his flashlight set on the ground as Sam came over. **"Something burned a perfect circle here. Fire was put out not too long ago."** The brothers kneeled in the grass, patting at the burnt herbage to try and identify what caused the fire. Dean tore a few of the blades from the ground and brought them up to his nose to inhale. **"It's Holy Oil."**

Sam didn't respond, but he didn't have to. Both of them had the same question in mind: If someone nabbed Gabriel, what did they do with Aziza?

* * *

 _In the last chapter, I mentioned that Lucifer could feel whenever Aziza died while he was in the Cage. That's true, but he didn't feel it this time because of the Angel-banishing sigil she used to expel him. Gimme about 2 more chapters and Luci & Aziza will get lots of screen-time :3_


	25. Wretched and Divine

It's only been a day after Crowley found Aziza as in infant in California. Along with Gabriel, the Soulmate was taken to the Asylum and she'd already aged into a toddler. Crowley wanted to study her, so he had Gabriel locked into the cells in the basement, separated from Castiel, but he had to step up his security measures since he was detaining an Archangel.

Gabriel was chained to a chair and the metal bindings around him had the same sigils from Lucifer's Cage carved into the metal and more wards were painted on the walls of the cell; there were now twenty of his strongest Demons posted in the hall of the cells. Crowley learned from experience and experience told him not to take any chances when it came to Archangels.

With Gabriel securely bound, Crowley's full attention went to Aziza. She was a new sight to his aged eyes, something truly unique and special. Right now, they were in the 'throne room', which used to be the Asylum's common room, and Crowley's followers were talking among themselves. Most of it was gossip about the Archangel trapped in the basement, other was the usual speculations about Lucifer and his apocalyptic plans. Sometimes, they'd glance at the burbling child tottering about.

Crowley was supposed to be managing the latest Crossroad Deals, but he ordered his minions not to disturb him while he watched Aziza. She was a giggling body prancing around the room as she chased after a blue ball. From his throne, Crowley was bouncing the ball, controlling it with his finger, and he had an amused smirk on his face as he watched her chase after it.

 **"** **Fascinating, aren't they?"** Crowley asked and Guthrie, his most trusted Demon, lifted his head from the table of scrolls beside the throne to look at his King. **"** **These fleshy, easily distracted, strangely adorable little tots** **."**

 **"** **Children are said to be the miracle of life, sir."** The promoted Demon commented and Crowley absentmindedly nodded in agreement, his finger bouncing up and down on the armrest as he jounced the ball for Aziza. She actually stopped her wobbly run to let out the most darling laugh, then she continued her pursuit of the ball. **  
**

 **"I can think of a hundred things, in this room alone, that could easily kill her. If we're being honest,** ** _I_** **could kill her."**

 **"** **Again, sir."** Guthrie reminded, setting a scroll down to stand beside Crowley. **  
**

 **"** **Exactly. I could kill her** ** _again_** **and she couldn't do a thing about it. Yet, in this form, she's completely oblivious to anything dangerous. She's surrounded by bloody Demons, but her primary focus is playing with that ball, being happy."**

Guthrie watched Aziza for a moment. As a Demon, the happiness he could feel radiating from the child was something he wasn't used to. She was truly something pure, something his sinful eyes shouldn't be witnessing. **"** **With ignorance comes** **true** **bliss, sire."**

Aziza tried to jump up to grab the bouncing ball, but she landed on her butt with a little _oof_. The entire room went silent, all the Demons holding their breaths in anticipation for the excruciating wails that could only come from a baby. Crowley was even anxiously watching the child, his finger frozen upwards and thus making the ball hover in the air.

Aziza looked around the room for the former King of Hell and when she found him, she stared at him for a moment. Then, she crawled over to his throne and grabbed the leg of his pants, using it to pull herself up on her feet. She babbled to Crowley and smiled her two-toothed grin when he responded to her incomprehensible dialogue; giving her a pat on the head. Her attention wandered back to the ball and she laughed as she tottered over to it, hands outstretched. Crowley dropped the ball into her grasp and she shook it, giggling, then wandered over to a Demon to get it to play with her.

 **"** **Did you see that?"** Crowley questioned, turning to Guthrie almost as if he needed another witness to confirm what he just saw. **"She just got up and walked it off like it was nothing. No crying, no fussing. She just shrugged it off like she doesn't care."**

Guthrie chuckled. **"** **Children are indestructible, sir."**

 **"** **Fascinating."** Crowley let out a light sigh as he relaxed into his throne, his attention going back to Aziza. She managed to get one of his Demons to sit on the floor and roll the ball back and fourth between them.

 **SN*SN*SN***

Due to yesterday's delay in business, Crowley had _stacks_ of paperwork to get through. This is what came with being King, endless amounts of paperwork to sign. He didn't bother reading them anymore, that was Guthrie's job. Speaking of, he was walking the halls of the Asylum in search of his trusted Demon. He suspected Guthrie was watching Aziza because he was the one who put her to bed last night. There was an old office that his Demons made into a bedroom for the girl and Crowley headed there, finding a pair of his minions guarding the door.

 **"** **Guthrie, whatever this is, it bores me rigid."** Crowley complained as he strolled into the room.

The walls had been painted pink to match the blankets on the full-sized bed, but the floor, armoire, bedframe and floor mirror were black. There was a pink toy trunk off to one side and in the middle of the room was a matching pink table with a porcelain teapot, saucers, creamer, sugar bowl and assortment of finger food spread out on it.

Guthrie was sitting in one of the impossibly small chairs and he looked up when Crowley entered the room to show him the scroll. **"Do I sign or not?"**

 **"** **I found it in order, sir. Do sign."** Guthrie affirmed and Crowley quickly scribbled his signature on the line. **  
**

 **"** **And how is our little dove today?"** Crowley pondered as he furled the scroll into a tube, tucking it under his arm. He looked across the small table and saw Aziza there, but she was no longer an adorable little toddler. Her hair was pulled up into a curly ponytail and she had a pink, boxed crown on the side of her head that looked like it was made of cardboard. The Demon King raised an eyebrow in surprise as she grabbed the porcelain teapot and poured herself a cup. **"I don't think that's normal for Humans."**

 **"** **Correct, sir. She underwent an overnight growth. By my estimate, she's about five-years-old now."** Guthrie informed his King. **  
**

Crowley took a second to think. Aziza's spontaneous growth had to be due to her being the Soulmate and that only made him ponder what she was capable of. If she was growing so quickly, she needed to be older in order to reach her fullest potential. He wondered what this child could be capable of, if she could be what he needed to get rid of Lucifer for good. The Cupids he interrogated never said how powerful the Soulmate was or even _what_ she was. Crowley knew that she was some kind of divine being, but unlike Angels or Archangels, her Grace was hidden from his eyes. Maybe God made another kind of superior Angel.

Crowley pulled the tiny chair from the table and sat down, setting the scroll beside him. Aziza placed a ceramic plate and teacup with a saucer under it in front of Crowley, then filled his cup with the warn tea from the pot. Crowley smiled at the blonde and lifted the teacup with the saucer, taking a sip of white Chai tea.

 **"** **Hello, dove. I'm your Uncle Crowley."** He greeted Aziza as he reached for the milk and honey to add to his cup. **"Are you having fun with Guthrie?"**

Aziza smiled and nodded. **"** **We're having a tea party."** She picked up a plate holding cheese Samosas and offered them to Crowley. He decided to play along and took the plate, taking one of the cheese-filled triangles to set on his plate. **"Where are all the Angels, Uncle Crowley?"**

Crowley glanced to Guthrie when Aziza asked that, but the white-haired Demon looked just as surprised to hear her question. **"** **Angels?"**

The blonde nodded before explaining, **"** **I'm supposed to be around Angels, so they can tell me the end of the story. That's what He said."** **  
**

 **"** **He who?"**

 **"** ** _Him._** **"** She repeated, but that only made Crowley's brows pull together in confusion. He took a moment to try and understand what she was saying and her origin came to him. She was the Soulmate, something divine, and God created her. God also told her some story that Angels were supposed to finish. **"I had a dream about an Angel last night, but there aren't any here."**

 **"** **Do you know which Angel was in your dream?"** Guthrie questioned the blonde after seeing that his King was still working through his thoughts. **  
**

 **"** **Mm-hmm. It was the Morning Star."** She said casually as she added a few spoonfuls of sugar to her cup and stirred it, not making the spoon clank against the cup.

At the mention of the Fallen Archangel, Guthrie sat a bit straighter in his small chair. He may have pledged loyalty to Crowley, but that didn't mean he wasn't fearful of Lucifer's wrath. Crowley was now looking at Aziza and being reminded of his last encounter with the Morning Star. If Lucifer could get in contact with Aziza, he worried that he would know where she was, which would mean the Archangel knew where he was.

 **"** **He said that he's a Prince and since I'm the Princess of Zeallegon, we can get married."** Aziza coyly giggled and ducked her head a bit, a pink flush coating her cheeks. **"He told me he knew me a long, long time ago, but he lost me and he can't find me now. He asked me where was, but I told him I didn't know."**

 **"** **Good girl. He might be an Angel, but he's still a stranger and we don't trust strangers, do we?"** Crowley asked and immediately, Aziza shook her head. He smiled at her, thankful that she wasn't going to go blabbing to Lucifer about where she was. He was sure that the girl didn't have the foggiest idea of where the hell she was anyway. Crowley finished off his tea, then stood from the small table and retrieved the scroll. **"Guthrie has to take care of some things with me, so Taylor is going to stay with you. She'll give you whatever you want."**

Crowley turned to the side and gestured to the Demon waiting at the door. It was wearing the tanned skin of a teenage girl, around 18 or 19-years-old, with syrupy brown eyes and caramel hair pulled back into a ponytail. She was wearing a black shirt with white Daises on it and jeans; an apron was tied around her waist with a floppy bow on the small of her back.

Taylor smiled at Aziza and the young blonde stared back at the girl. At this age, she couldn't 'switch' her eyes from seeing supernatural beings and Souls or simply faces, so she knew that Taylor and Guthrie weren't Humans. She knew Crowley wasn't Human either, but his tortured Soul was red and she didn't know what that made him.

As Crowley and Guthrie began to leave, the Demon King reminded Taylor to treat Aziza like a little princess. She obediently nodded and Crowley went back to the table to grab his Samosa before leaving with Guthrie to handle the day's business.

 **SN*SN*SN***

 **"** **You have coerced others into aligning with Lucifer. You've spread rumors and fostered doubt as to the competence and authority to the crown. You are hereby found guilty of treason and mutiny against the King."** Crowley stated as he sat on his throne, his minions scattered around the room as spectators and Guthrie beside him with an unrolled scroll.

There was a handcuffed Demon standing a few feet away from him who had been caught in treasonous acts. The Demon was one of Lucifer's followers, but he remained 'loyal' to Crowley just so he could gather enough information to tell the Fallen Archangel. Crowley expected this to happen when Lucifer was released, for his 'most devoted' Demons to stab him in the back in attempts to gain the favor of their _'Father',_ and he refused to be merciful with his punishments.

He narrowed his eyes at the traitor. **"** **Your sentence is death.** **Have you any last words?** **"**

 **"** **Lucifer is _the only_ King." ** The Demon started and just by the steely tone of his voice, Crowley knew he was about to start preaching to the masses. He rolled his eyes. **"He is free from his Cage and has reclaimed his throne. You are nothing but an _insect_ to him. You and those stupid enough to still follow you will feel his wrath. Your defiance and disloyalty to our Father will be rewarded with unimaginable-"**

 **"Juliet!"** Crowley called, cutting off the Demon's speech. He wouldn't be able to keep the vomit from filling his throat if he had to listen to another word of that nonsense. **  
**

A chilling howl was sounded in response to Crowley's call and all the Demons in the room began moving away from the doors to keep out of the approaching Hell Hound's way. With a demonic growl, the double doors were thrown open and Crowley's Hell Hound prowled into the room, lowly growling at the Demons she passed.

Crowley whistled and pointed to the chained Demon. Juliet dashed across the room and pounced on the traitor, bringing him down to the ground. She clawed at his chest, blood spurting out from the jagged, claw-lines, and the terrorized screams of the Demon echoing throughout the entire Asylum. She latched onto his neck with her sharp, canine teeth and dragged him out of the throne room, leaving behind a smeared trail of blood on the floor.

 **"Anyone else hungry to betray me?"** Crowley cynically accused the Demons that pledged loyalty to him, knowing he just struck fear into them with that execution.

He noticed some of them nervously looking at others and wondered just how many of his minions could be double agents, spying on him for that wretched Archangel. Now that he had Aziza in his possession, he couldn't allow her to be in Lucifer's presence. The Morning Star knew more about her than he did and Crowley had no doubt that Lucifer could made Aziza turn on him at the drop of a dime.

Crowley gave the Demons in the room a final once-over, then took his phone from his suit jacket's inner breast pocket and looked to his notifications for missed calls or unopened texts. There was nothing from the contacts he saved under 'Squirrel' and 'Moose'.

Crowley wasn't expecting the Winchesters to know that he captured Aziza. He reasoned that they forgot about him after he tried to kill Lucifer, probably thought he slithered back to the Inferno where he belonged. He knew better than to underestimate the Hunters, but the brothers have yet to learn not to underestimate him.

 **"** **My King?"** Crowley looked up from his phone when someone called him, finding Taylor a few feet from his throne. He scowled at her, not in the mood to be bothered. **  
**

 **"** **You're supposed to be watching the child."** He said through clenched teeth and caught how Taylor stiffened at his harsh tone. **  
**

 **"** **Y-Yes, I know, but…there's something…"** The Demon trailed off, unable to find the words to explain what the little blonde did. **"You need to come see what she's done."**

Crowley raised an eyebrow, curious. Aziza was a little angel, not like those flying monkeys in Heaven, and she wasn't troublesome at all. He just saw the girl having a tea party a few hours ago. He glanced to Guthrie to see if his most trusted Demon had a comment, but the white-haired fiend did not. With that, Crowley stood from his throne and followed Taylor to Aziza's room.

When they arrived at Aziza's room, Taylor opened the door for Crowley, but took a step back as if she didn't want to go back into the room. Crowley was really intrigued now, wondering what could've spooked his minion. When he entered the room, everything seemed to be in order. Her bed was still made and he noticed that there was a red hardcover book opened on the blankets. From his position, he could see the pages and knew that it was _Dante's Inferno_ in the original Italian. Taylor was probably reading it to her.

Taking a look around the room, Crowley saw that her toys were tucked away in the trunk and the pink table was cleared of the tea set, but there were splatters of red staining the table. Two of the small chairs were overturned and a pair of Demons, the ones previously guarding the room, were on the floor, a dark-red puddle underneath both bodies. From the shredded clothing, it looked like Juliet came in here and killed them, but that didn't make sense. Crowley trained Juliet to behave and obey. She wouldn't just run off and kill a pair of his Demons just for kicks.

The sound of humming made Crowley look around the room until he spotted Aziza. She was rubbing her hands on the wall next to her dresser, almost out of sight.

 **"** **Aziza?"** Crowley called as she approached the girl and she turned to him, smiling. **"What's going on in here, darling?"**

 **"** **I'm finger-painting!"** She threw her hands in the air to show Crowley and he noticed that her palms and fingers were coated in something that was carmine in color, then pointed to the wall behind her. **"See my pretty drawings?"**

Crowley looked to the wall and saw that there were smears of the same substance coating Aziza's hands on the wall. He looked back to the corpses on the ground and everything clicked. The blond was using Demon Blood as paint. Looking back to her creations, he noticed that they were far from pretty or childlike. She didn't draw a shining sun or stick-people. Whatever she drew depicted something that would be seen in a mental patient's cell or by a Human being possessed by a rabid Demon. Maybe she was attempting to draw the creatures within the 14th-century epic poem Taylor was reading her.

 **"** **They're marvelous."** Crowley complimented and he was only telling half of a lie. Aziza's drawings were certainly attention-grabbing and far from normal, but there was nothing _good_ about them. They were sinister looking and macabre. Motioning to the bodies on the ground, he asked her, **"Aziza, what happened to them?"**

 **"** **Oh, those guys didn't wanna play with me."** Aziza casually answered as if nothing was wrong with the newly created crime-scene in her room. **"They said that they were dragons and that they were gonna burn Zeallegon to the ground, then eat the Princess. So, Snowflake ate them first."**

 **"** **Snowflake?"** Crowley questioned, unknowing of whom the blonde was naming. **  
**

 **"** **Her teddy bear."** Taylor elucidated, warily glancing to the white teddy bear sitting in the only upright chair at the pink table. There were splatters of blood on its fur and its bottomless eyes seemed to be staring right at her tortured Soul, _daring_ her to come closer.

 **"** **They should've been nice to me."** Aziza said in a slightly singsong voice, going back to smearing the plasma on the wall. She stopped and looked down at her stomach, under her stained dress, when she felt a rumble, then to Crowley. **"** **I'm hungry, Uncle Crowley."**

Crowley stared at the blonde for a moment, trying to comprehend what happened. His Demons must've provoked her in some way, but how the hell did she make a goddamn _teddy bear_ murder them? It was inanimate, soft and cuddly. Crowley let out a quiet sigh, too much on his mind at the moment.

 **"Taylor is going to get you cleaned up** **and then, she'll make you something scrummy to eat."** He told Aziza as he pinched the bridge of his nose. **  
**

The blonde looked behind him at the teenage Demon standing next to Guthrie and she didn't smile like she usually did. She was a second away from glaring when Crowley put his hands on her shoulders to lead her to the door. Taylor held her hand out for Aziza to take and after a moment's hesitation, the blonde accepted it, being led away to the bathroom.

Taylor drew Aziza a bubble bath while the blonde was sitting on the toilet, wrapped in a purple towel as she played with a bath toy shark. Once the tub was filled, she happily got in and played with the bubbles, making a beard and blowing them out of her hand to watch the suds flutter through the air. She was laughing for the duration of her bathtime, then she washed and got out. Taylor wrapped her in the towel again, dried her hair and was now on her knees as she fished around the tub in search of the stopper.

 **"** **You snitched on me."** Aziza said, standing right behind Taylor. The Demon could barely turn her head around to see the blonde. **  
**

 **"** **What was that, dear?"** She asked. Her fingers were still searching for the stopper, but they brushed against something smooth and she pushed away the bath toy that Aziza left in the tub. **  
**

The blonde was trying to glare a hole in the back of Taylor's head, so that her brain could fall out, but she came around to the Demon's side so that they could see each other. **"** **I don't like tattletales."** She sneered at the brown-eyed Demon. She glanced at the tub and smirked when she noticed a fin moving through the mountains of bubbles. **"And neither does Bandit."**

Before Taylor could ask what Aziza meant by that, she let out a scream as searing-hot pain shot up her entire arm. Looking in the tub, she saw the red beginning to contaminate the water and as she jerked her hand from the tub, she found that her arm was missing from her elbow up, a gory stump left behind. She would've let out another scream, but a downsized Megalodon shark emerged from the suds and its mouth opened, revealing painfully sharp teeth, and chomped down on the Demon, dragging her into the tub.

Aziza watched, still with a smirk on her face, as Bandit ripped Taylor to pieces, the shark's head thrashing left and right to detach limbs, and ate every bite. Water was splashing all over the place, on the white walls and tiled floor. Some splatters of blood got on Aziza's face, but she didn't notice at first.

Once Bandit was satisfied with his kill, the water in the tub calmed and was now a bloody red, the bubbles were even stained with maroon; a few pieces of skin or chunks of meat were floating on the surface like macabre lily-pads. Bandit came to the edge of the tub and lifted his head from the water again, exposing his face to Aziza.

 **"** **Good shark."** She smiled, stroking the shark's sleek snout.

After a minute or two of receiving affection from the blonde, Bandit retreated underwater again and was casually swimming around the tub, sometimes snacking on the remaining bits of Taylor floating around him. Aziza returned to her room and took a blue and white pajama set from her armoire to get dressed in. Before she left her room, she noticed her reflection in the floor mirror next to her wardrobe. There were still droplets of blood on her face and she wiped her hand over her face.

She stared at her stained palm and, curiously, stuck her tongue out to lick at one of the carmine streaks. Her pupils dilated to marble size when the unholy taste settled on her tongue.

Aziza walked back to the bathroom and was licking her hand clean of Demon Blood along the way. She washed her hands, then stood outside the door, sucking in a breath before calling, **"Uncle Crowley!"**

Crowley was in the lowest level of the Asylum, visiting the cells again. This time, he was preoccupied with trying to pick at Gabriel's brain, but the Archangel seemed immune to his cruel blade. All the gilded winged Archangel would do is scoff and sass the Demon. Crowley's tortured many a supernatural creature in his demonic lifespan, but never an Archangel. He was smart enough to keep away from them and if Lucifer's brother's were anywhere near as insane as he was, Crowley was perfectly fine with never wanting to even _see_ one _._

Crowley was twirling an Angel Blade as he paced in front of a shirtless and barefoot Gabriel bound to a chair. The brunet's hair was a little messy and his chest was littered with gouges of various lengths and widths, but Gabriel did not look scared. Not once has he begged for mercy or let out anything more than an annoyed noise that could've been mistaken for a grunt of irritation. If anything, Crowley was beginning to feel like he was a _nuisance_ , nothing more than a pestering bug, to the Archangel instead of an oppressor of pain. He had a few vases of Holy Oil to use at his leisure, but he didn't want to use that until it was absolutely necessary. He knew that Angels would scream in agony when burned with Holy Fire and he wanted to see how an Archangel would react, so he was saving the best for last.

The Demon King looked to the locked door and thought about the Angel he had locked in another cell. He hasn't touched Castiel since his Demons kidnapped him because the blue-eyed divine being was more worth to him alive than dead, a bargaining chip. He knew that, similar to Demons, all Angels were related in a way, all of them considered siblings. If that was true, than he suspected that Balthazar would've finally caved in upon seeing his brother, thought that the blond would try to spare Castiel the torment of being tortured by spilling the beans. That plan didn't work out, but maybe it would this time around.

Crowley's lips just curled into a smile at the scheme formulating in his mind, but the loud clanking of metal tore him from his sinister plots. One of the Demons guarding the cells poked its head in to inform her boss that his presence was being requested by their guest. Crowley sighed, suspecting Taylor needed his attention again. He passed the Angel Blade off to the Demon and removed the black apron covering his suit.

Crowley didn't bother accepting his suit's jacket from another one of the Demons guarding the cells. He didn't stop his stride as he reached the higher floors of the Asylum and went to Aziza's room. The blonde was missing, as was Taylor, but there weren't any new bodies littering the floor. He went to the bathroom next, remembering the child needed a bath, and found Aziza sitting on the ground as she played with a toy shark.

 **"** **Where's your sitter?"** Crowley asked the blonde. He was earnestly considering having Taylor flayed and boiled in molten lava. **  
**

 **"** **In the bathroom."** Aziza answered, turning to push open the bathroom door and reveal the bloodied scene.

Crowley evaluated the state of the bathroom, the bloody water and splatters of plasma on the walls or floor. He looked to Aziza and noticed that, like earlier, she was unharmed. He didn't find Snowflake the Teddy Bear anywhere in the bathroom, but he did notice the toy shark the tiny blonde was playing with.

It was clear to him now that she could animate toys. She brought Snowflake to life and the teddy slaughtered the two Demons, then she must've animated the toy shark and it attacked Taylor. He wondered what Taylor could've done to provoke the blonde. He gave the sitter specific orders to give the child whatever she wanted and to keep her happy.

 **"** **Are you still hungry?"** Crowley asked Aziza as he shut the bathroom door. She nodded and he held his hand out; she didn't hesitate to take it. **"Alright, let's go get you something to eat."**

Crowley planned to question Aziza on the triple homicide while she ate dinner. He didn't particularly care about the deaths, but he wanted to know why she had his Demons killed and he wanted to witness how she made her toys come to life. He was reminded that she was something divine and could have as much power as an Archangel.

With the proper training, he could groom her to be the perfect little murderer and he would set her loose on Lucifer the first chance he got. Even if he didn't know the extent of their history, Crowley knew for a fact that Lucifer wouldn't harm a hair on Aziza's head. He's found the Archangel's Achilles' heel.

 **"** **Can I have what Bandit had, Uncle Crowley? He said it was yummy."** Aziza requested as she skipped down the halls beside Crowley. He looked down at her with a inquisitive expression. **  
**

 **"** **Bandit?"**

 **"** **Mm-hmm. He's my bath toy shark."** She held her toy up to show him, but Crowley didn't dare touch it, unknowing and wary of if the damn thing would try to bite his hand off. **"He ate Taylor and Snowflake ate the dragons. I want more of that."**

Crowley had to stop after hearing Aziza's explanation. He looked down at her with squinted eyes, trying to understand if she was asking him for what he thought she was. **"** **You want to** _ **eat**_ **Demons?"**

 **"Just the stuff that comes out."** She blinked up at him. Her azure eyes were sparkling with something, but it was not innocence or purity. There may have been a happiness in them, but it was not a clean type of joy. **  
**

The child wanted to drink Demon Blood, she was _asking_ Crowley to feed her Demons because her shark liked the taste. Crowley considered what Aziza wanted for a moment, thinking. Maybe the blonde simply didn't like the lower-level Demons she's been around and had them killed. Or perhaps, she got a taste of them, just like Bandit did, and she liked the flavor.

Crowley decided to conduct an experiment on the Soulmate. The only way to find out the answer to his theory was to give the blonde what she wanted and monitor her reaction.


	26. Stolen Friends and Disease

Guthrie was walking the Asylum halls, headed for Aziza's room. His King informed him of the experiment he was conducting with the child by monitoring the effects of the Demon Blood she consumed. Since she had Taylor killed, Guthrie was acting as something of a part-time babysitter to the blonde because Crowley knew the girl would surely kill any of his lower-level minions. When the Demons tracked down traitors outside the Asylum or when a backstabber was found in their own mass, Guthrie would lead them to Aziza's room like pigs to a slaughterhouse and let her deal their punishment. Crowley warned him not to give her more than two, one for breakfast and another for dinner, until he knew what changes the girl was going through.

Crowley's been spending most of his time in the basement cells trying to make Gabriel crack. He pulled out all his sinister little toys and even burned the Archangel with Holy Fire. The burning got Gabriel to scream, but he still wasn't talking. Feeling like he was at the end of his rope, Crowley had Castiel brought into Gabriel's cell and began torturing the blue-eyed Angel while Gabe watched, unable to stop his little brother's suffering. He didn't do much damage to Cas, but the way he prolonged it made those few minutes seem like hours of agony.

Once Crowley was finished with Castiel, he asked Gabriel if he was feeling chatty. The Archangel's response was that Crowley was going to die such a painful death at the hands of Dean Winchester for hurting his Angel. And Gabriel kept taunting the Demon until Crowley had no choice but to leave the cells before he exploded because Gabe was pressing all of his buttons. Who knew Archangels could be so goddamn stubborn and annoying?

While Crowley was going upstairs to his office, Guthrie was traveling downstairs with Aziza. She asked him if she could go outside and play. Luckily, there was a spacious backyard behind the Asylum and he was leading her there now. Aziza was carrying a doll named Goldie Luxe, talking to it as she skipped beside him. He hasn't noticed any drastic changes since her new diet. She seemed like the same peppy child that she's always been.

As they were walking the hall leading to to the gated backyard, Guthrie looked down at the blonde when he noticed that she stopped talking to her doll. Aziza held the doll off to her side and something black wrapped around it before taking the doll to her back. Guthrie stopped in his tracks. Looking behind the girl, he spotted Goldie hovering a few inches above ground by a black tail sprouting from under the skirt of Aziza's dress.

 **"Aziza, how long have you had that?"** The white-haired Demon questioned the girl. She looked over her shoulder at her new appendage and didn't seem shocked by it at all. **  
**

 **"** **It popped up after breakfast."** She casually explained as if she were telling him the time of day, then she smiled up at Guthrie. **"I like it, makes me feel like a panther."**

With a nod to the blonde, Guthrie and Aziza continued down the hall and at the double doors leading to the backyard were a pair of Demons. Guthrie noticed how they were warily eyeing the blonde and Aziza was staring at them with some kind of predatory sparkle in her eyes. When she ran outside to frolic around the grassy space, Guthrie ordered the Demons to bring her tea set and table outside and to keep an eye on her. He then went searching for Crowley and when he didn't find the King sitting on his throne, he went to his office.

Crowley was idly swiveling left and right in the executive chair behind his desk. There were scrolls and other documents of cases that needed his attention all over the wooden top, but he was ignoring them because he didn't want to be bothered with something as menial as paperwork at the moment. There was a bottle of Craig, aged 30 years, and a tumbler of the alcohol near the edge of his desk that he's been sipping in an attempt to elevate his mood. His phone was in his hands and he was typing a text to one of his Demons that was out on the field, but looked up from his screen to the door when he felt a presence.

 **"** **Sire, there's been another change."** Guthrie informed his King as he stepped into the office and shut the door behind him for the sake of privacy. **  
**

Crowley set his phone on the desk, interested the latest update of his experiment on Aziza. **"** **What's happened now, another growth spurt?"**

 **"** **She's still the same age, but she sprouted a tail sometime after breakfast."** Crowley looked at Guthrie as if the Demon just told him that _God_ wanted to be the King of Hell, but his most trusted fiend nodded to assure him that his words were true. **"She's playing in the backyard now, if you'd like to investigate."**

Crowley reached for his glass of Scotch and downed the rest of his favorite drink before disappearing. Guthrie went to the desk and began looking through the scrolls to see which ones were of the most import. Crowley had transported himself downstairs and walked the hall leading to the backyard. He narrowed his eyes when he didn't find a pair of Demons guarding the door. He had every entrance and exit of the Asylum guarded and when he found out who skipped out on their shift, he was going to dismember them.

Crowley pushed one of the double doors open and stepped into the large backyard. He spotted Aziza a yard or so at a pink table with what looked to be one of her dolls sitting across from her. As he walked across the yard to her, he noticed the gruesome trail of limbs scattered here and there within the blood-stained grass and understood why there were no guards at the door. His wish of punishing his guard Demons with dismemberment had been granted.

 **"** **Hiya, Uncle Crowley."** The blonde greeted as the Demon King took a seat at her tiny table, accustomed to the small chairs. **  
**

 **"** **What are you up to, little dove?"**

 **"** **Just having a tea party with Goldie Luxe. She's a Princess like me."** Crowley turned to the living collector's edition LaLaLoopsy doll with her metallic, pale-pink head of curls, golden tiara and button eyes. The regal doll waved at him, her hand covered with one of Aziza's frilly white socks, unable to talk do to the stitched mouth she had. Crowley noticed that the doll and Aziza were wearing the same fancy, pink dress. The blonde tugged on his sleeve and he leaned over to let her whisper to him. **"She has to wear socks on her hands 'cause whatever she touches turns to gold."**

 **"** **Just like King Midas."** Crowley commented and Aziza nodded before grabbing the teapot.

 **"** **Would you like some tea? I made it special."**

Crowley decided to play along. He picked up one of the plastic tea cups and Aziza poured him a cup of tea. He wasn't expecting anything to be in the teapot, but a thick, dark-maroon liquid was poured into the cup. Demon Blood, likely being freshly squeezed. He watched as Aziza poured herself a cup and, with her pinky extended, she sipped at her drink. While she was talking with her brought-to-life doll, he noticed something on the side of her head, near her temple. It was a charcoal-colored spot about the size of a quarter. He didn't notice it before, but maybe it was a birthmark or something of that sort.

 **"** **I've been told that you've grown a tail, dove."** Crowley commented and Aziza happily nodded. She looked to her side and Crowley watched as a black tail, probably the same length as a Cottonmouth snake, with an arrowhead tip raised from the edge of the table. **  
**

 **"I** **t's so cool."** She admired. **  
**

 **"** **Very cool."** He agreed, still curiously staring at the appendage. He was silent for a moment, then she asked her, **"How many Demons have you had today?"**

 **"** **Two for breakfast, then I had one for a snack and those guys make five."** She pointed to the disembodied limbs in the grass. **  
**

That was the problem. Crowley's been feeding her two Demons a day, one in the morning and one at night. He wanted to see how the Demon Blood was affecting her, which is why he gave it to her in small doses, but the amount she had today had to be why she grew a tail…though, he wasn't exactly sure why. Aziza hasn't been killing Demons whenever she pleased like when Taylor was still around, but if she slaughtered five Demons today, he could only reason that she was hungry for more. She was a growing girl, after all.

Crowley stayed with Aziza for another few minutes, enjoying the tea party and watching as she used her new tail to grab the teapot every now to refill their cups. He also noticed that the hue of her eyes seemed a bit off. He was sure her eyes were a bright shade of azure, but they seemed cobalt-blue today. As she giggled with her doll, he was trying to put his finger on what the hell was happening to her, what _he_ was doing to her.

 **SN*SN*SN***

Aziza had undergone another growth spurt and was a teenager now. Crowley was correct with his theory that Aziza's eyes had shifted from azure to cobalt-blue, but now, they were navy. The tail grew with her new size and those black spots he noticed on the sides of her head were a bit bigger and darker now, only noticeable if one was staring at her.

The blonde was quieter now too. She spoke to Guthrie and Crowley whenever they said something to her, but other than that, she was eerily silent. She seemed to want to be a shadow from the way she'd lurk around the Asylum halls, stalking the Demons like they were her prey. Well, they actually _were_ her prey. Speaking of his minions, Crowley's experiment on Aziza has been postponed. Guthrie would gather guilty Demons for her like he has been, but the blonde wouldn't touch them. She'd unchain them and let them run through the Asylum. The only way Crowley would know if she ate was if he saw or someone reported a bloody mess somewhere within the facility. Even then, he's lost track of how many Demons would be killed by her in an _hour_. Unless she was lounging in the throne room or he ran into her sometime during the day, he wouldn't even see her.

 **"** **Sire, about Aziza."** Guthrie started from beside Crowley's throne. Yesterday, he collected all the scrolls or documents that needed his immediate attention and he was passing them off for Crowley to sign. His King quickly scribbled his signature, then passed the scroll back to him, only to receive another document and Crowley sighed, bored out of his wits. **"Her bloodlust is becoming…problematic."**

 **"** **How so?"** He asked, purposely not signing the document just to put a hold on how much boring paperwork he had to get through. **  
**

**"** **Since Lucifer's been released from the Cage, numbers on your side have dwindled. We've been recruiting, but since Aziza's arrival and growth, quantities have dropped a bit drastically. Her diet is the main contributor to that."** The white-haired Demon explained their current problem, not stalling or trying to sugarcoat anything.

Crowley remained silent as he took in Guthrie's words. He knew that was going to bite him in the ass sooner or later. Crowley just noticed how quiet it was around the Asylum, his throne room to be specific. His Demons weren't a rowdy bunch, but the least he would hear throughout the day was them talking among themselves about deals, the sins they've committed or schemes to kill Lucifer. Other than himself and Guthrie, there were about ten Demons in the room and they were all keeping their distance from the opened double doors, almost flinching whenever a passing Demon would walk by.

 **"If I could offer advice?"** Guthrie sought permission to voice his thoughts and Crowley nodded, seeking whatever the Demon had in mind. **"Perhaps she could find a new target to fulfill her cravings, just until we stockpile traitors."**

Crowley slowly nodded, then signed the document on his lap and handed it off. He stood from his throne, buttoning his suit jacket. **"** **Guthrie, I think it's time for our little dove to spread her wings."**

Guthrie smiled in acknowledgement, then Crowley was gone.

The Demon King went to Aziza's room and found the blonde in there for once. She was laying on her bed with a blue paperback in her hand, the title _The Stranger Beside Me_ by Ann Rule. He wondered if she's been reading about serial killers lately. It would explain where her increased killing came from. Aziza's navy-blue eyes peered over the top of the book when she noticed a tortured Soul in her room. Crowley told her to get gussied up for a night on the town and when she was ready, he transported them to Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Crowley and Aziza were leaning on a wall of a big, dimly lit barn, glowing string lights coiled around every beam or hanging from the high ceiling. There was a horde of teenagers crammed in here and most of them had a red cup in their hand as they chattered with their peers. A majority of them were converged around a large spool that was acting as a table for various bottles of alcohol, bowls of chips and a few stray cans of crazy string spray; balloons were scattered all over the floor. There was an old radio supplying upbeat music from a CD someone made, but the song would die down every now and then, making one of the boys nearby give it a kick or punch to get the music flowing again. Towards the back, there was a haze of smoke and piles of hay under a few platforms. From the heaps of fodder, only legs could be seen and the youths sitting on the higher level would hoot or catcall at whomever was below them from time to time. None of the party-goers seemed to notice Aziza and Crowley watching them, they were too stoned or drunk.

 **"Why'd you bring me here, Uncle Crowley?"** Aziza asked. **  
**

 **"** **What? You're not enjoying the party?"** He questioned her, feigning shock, before extending his arms to show off the scene before them. **"This is what teenagers are all about. Sneaking out of the house, stealing alcohol from their parents, trespassing on private property, experimenting with one's sexuality, groping one another on a dirty pile of hay. This is the very _essence_ of pubescent life!"**

The blonde didn't crack a smirk or roll her eyes, formerly signature traits of hers. She seemed highly unimpressed with the environment. **"** **Can we go home now?"**

Crowley let out a quiet sigh as he noticed how serious the blonde seemed. He put one hand on her shoulder, then motioned to the barn door and they walked out into the cool nighttime air. The Demon looked out at the fields surrounding them almost as if he were reflecting on his life, then he turned to face Aziza.

 **"** **Little dove, we need to have a talk. A** **s much as I adore having you around, business hasn't been functioning at full capacity because of what you've been doing.** **"** He began and the blonde's blank expression didn't change, nor did she comment, so he continued. **"I'm supporting your homicidal impulses completely, but we're just going to change one** ** _minor_** **detail. Instead of Demons, you get to slaughter Humans. Trust me, it's much more fun. Once you hear their screams, you'll never want to stop."**

With that last tempting bit, Crowley managed to make Aziza smirk. Her lip curled in a devilish way and he knew that all kinds of sinister and gory thoughts were filling her head. He snapped and a pair of his Demons were behind him. Aziza looked at them with an ominous glint in her predatory eyes, but made no move to get closer to them. Crowley set his hands on her shoulders and turned her back to the barn.

 **"Now, I expect you to be home no later than 2AM and don't worry about the mess."** He told her as she slid back inside the barn. **"And most importantly, have fun."**

With a smile, Crowley closed one of the large barn doors and one of the Demons came to close the other. He was already walking away when he began hearing the clanking of metal as they chained the doors from the outside. His black Aston Martin Lagonda Taraf was parked a few yards away from the barn and Steven, the chauffeur that picked Aziza up from the airport, was there to open the passenger door for him.

Before Crowley slid into his idling car, he began to hear the harrowing screams traveling across the field from the youths inside the barn. He looked back and smiled with a sigh. **"They grow up so fast."**

 **SN*SN*SN***

Dean walked down the hall of interrogation rooms in one of Cheyenne's police stations, dressed in one of his monkey suits. He was lured here this morning by the disturbing news of a barn full of teenagers being slaughtered sometime last night and being as though Wyoming was only 3 hours away from Breckenridge, he decided to go find out what the hell happened. He's already inspected the crime scene and didn't pick up anything on his EMF. He looked around, but there were no traces of Sulfur to be found either. He didn't find a clump of Werewolf hair or any missing teeth from a Vampire. It seemed like this was out of his usual ballpark, but he wanted to talk to the sole witness of last night's events before throwing in the towel.

Spotting Interrogation Room #5, Dean straightened his tie before opening the door. In the grey room, there was a girl sitting at the metal table. She had long almond-brown hair that transitioned to grape-purple from her chin down. She looked up from her folded hands on the table, revealing the freckles scattered across her nose, and her sage-green eyes clashed with his emerald ones for a second, then she dropped her gaze back to her hands.

 **"I'm FBI Agent Rose."** Dean introduced himself as he sat across from the teen. He went to pull out his FBI badge, but the girl wasn't paying him any mind, so he stopped himself. **"What's your name?"**

 **"Maddie."** She mumbled and Dean spotted the blue hue of her braces when she spoke. She couldn't have been older than 16. **  
**

 **"The officers tell me that you were at a party last night and something bad happened. And it wasn't the underage drinking."** He told her with a light tone, hoping to elevate the dreary cloud that seemed to be hanging over the brunette, but Maddie didn't even meet his eyes again. Dean frowned a little, becoming serious. **"Wanna tell me what's got you so freaked out, Maddie?"**

 **"You won't believe me."** She shook her head. **"The cops think I'm crazy or was doped out or drunk, but I wasn't. _I know_ what I saw."**

 **"I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to hear your side of the story."** Dean honestly told her and he watched as she glanced at him, skeptical. She was trying to see if he was lying to her and he put his hands up in mock surrender. **"No judgement here, Maddie. I just wanna know what happened."  
**

Maddie continued to stare at Dean for another few seconds, then her eyes went to the door. She looked around the room almost in a paranoid way, like she was afraid that something was going to manifest out of thin air and grab her.

 **"... _something_ killed everyone last night." **She told Dean and he leaned over the table to her her clearly because she was all but whispering. **"It...it wasn't Human, it couldn't have been. She looked like one, but she _wasn't_. She was somethin' you'd hear in an urban legend, somethin' parents make up to scare their kids into listenin' to them."**

 **"Wait a minute, she?"** His first thought was that demonic bitch Meg. **"She who?"**

 **"I don't know, it was just some chick."** She bitterly snapped at him, either annoyed or insulted by his question, and Dean backed off, motioning for her to continue. **"She was a wallflower at first, then she started walkin' around like she was prowlin'...and then...then, the screamin' started..."**

Dean watched the girl pale before his eyes and felt so sorry that she had to witness such a traumatic event. He wanted to put his hand on hers in a gesture of comfort, but he feared that she'd flinch and he didn't want to scare her.

 **"I was up on the hayloft...makin' out with Ashton Bryce."** Maddie gravely continued, still distantly looking at the table, the color not having returned to her face. **"He tried to run, but that girl...she caught him, almost tore his arm off. I don't know what stopped her from killin' him, but she went on her way."** She paused again, not blinking or even looked like she was breathing. Dean worried that the girl had gone into some kind of shock, but Maddie shook her head again and looked Dean in the eyes. **"She wasn't Human _._ I...I-I think I saw a...it was somethin' evil and sinister and...maybe it was Lucifer."**

 **"I seriously doubt that."** Dean was quick to dispel that theory. If there was one thing for certain, it was that Lucifer wouldn't be frolicking around Earth wearing the skin of a girl when he already had a Vessel that he could maintain enough to use daily. **  
**

 **"Some of the boys were jokin' around about summoning him, but they thought he was Satan. They were doing everythin' wrong, but maybe...he heard."** It didn't sound like she heard his comment from the way she continued her earlier thought. Maddie looked like she was thinking about something and Dean hoped it wasn't the Fallen Archangel, but he had a bad feeling she was. His assumption was right because Maddie's features relaxed. She didn't look calm at all, but an accepting expression was now displayed on her face. **"Lucifer is the most beautiful Angel ever, right? He used to be God's favorite son and all. Maybe he took the form of that girl and killed everyone...the ignorant nonbelievers...and he spared me because I know he isn't Satan."**

 **"Maddie, _listen_ to me." ** Dean leaned over the table again, his tone firm and almost commanding. **"What you saw last night definitely was not Lucifer, but don't go thinking you can make friends with him. He is evil and twisted on levels you couldn't imagine."  
**

The brunette shook her head at the Hunter's warning. **"It was a sign, Agent Rose. An Angel gave me a sign and I'd be a fool not to mind it."**

Before Dean could get another word in, he heard the door open from behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw one of the male officers standing in the door-frame with a drawstring bag in his hand.

 **"Maddie, your sister's here to take you home."** He told her, but she didn't get up from the table. She asked Dean if he had anymore questions and he told her that she didn't, to go home and be with her family.

Maddie was escorted to the waiting area of the station and her 26-year-old sister, Kimberly, was waiting for her. They went through typical the 'Are you okay?' scene with lots of hugs and praise for the younger girl being unharmed, then they left the Station. Kimberly drove them home and Maddie stared out the window the entire time, not uttering a word.

Once the sisters were home, Maddie was prepared to go upstairs and take the longest shower in history, but Kimberly told her sister that they had a special guest whom she had to meet before she did anything. She led her little sister into the living room where a pair of unknown men were flanking an armchair with a blond sitting in it.

 **"Hello, Madeline."** The blue-eyed man amicably greeted the girl. **"Your sister's been telling me so much about you."**

 **"Are you another FBI agent?"** Maddie questioned.

 **"No, not at all."** The man denied before standing and closing the space between them until he was standing before the teenage girl, looking down into her green eyes. **"You believe in me, Madeline, and it was that faith you have in me that drew me to you."**

 **"My faith in you?"** She repeated his words, confused about what he meant. She wondered if her sister had called in a Priest. **"I don't understand. Who are you?"**

The blond smiled and cupped Maddie's cheeks, his cold hands making her shiver a little. **"I'm Lucifer, dear child."**

 **SN*SN*SN***

Dean stayed in Cheyenne for a few more hours, staidly watching the funerals for all the teenagers that were killed last night. He tried talking to some of the families, but they were all too emotional to even think about the recently departed. He extended his apologies for their losses and left his card. Before he decided to head home, he stuck around to see if anything strange would happen, but nothing did.

 **"Sammy?"** Dean called as he shut the front door to the cabin. The living room was empty, as was the kitchen, so he headed upstairs. Unfortunately, Dean found his brother in the mini living room.

Since the night Aziza, Cas and Gabriel went missing, the boys have turned the upstairs living room into something of a war room. They brought the desk from the basement library upstairs and on the top were stacks of books, multiple notepads and Sam's laptop.

The brunet was watching the screen, ignoring his brother's presence or unknowing of it. Dean sighed at him. **"You haven't moved from this spot since I left, have you?"**

 **"No."** Sam grunted, his eyes not straying from the screen. **  
**

 **"Well, I checked out Cheyenne and that mini-massacre might've been a Demon attack, could've been a sacrifice."** Dean debriefed his brother as he peeled off his suit jacket and hung it on the banister. He was unlacing his tie as he walked to the chair on the other side of the desk. **"I didn't find any traces of Sulfur, but maybe one of Lucifer's kids is trying to get Daddy's attention. I called Zeke and asked him to keep an eye on the place."**

Dean sat down in the wooden chair, making it creak in protest to the weight, and pulled his tie from around his collar, letting it fall to the ground. He looked at Sam, waiting for him to comment or ask a question, but he didn't. Sam's eyes were still locked on the screen and Dean noticed how red they were, noticed the dark crescents starting to form under them. Sam's been nonstop at trying to find some kind of lead on Aziza since they got home and Dean was worried about the toll his investigating was taking on him. He knew Sam wasn't eating or sleeping, he hasn't changed his clothes in who knows how long and it looked like he was in the process of growing a beard.

 **"Maybe you should t** **ake a breather, little brother. Staring at that laptop can't be good for your eyes."** Dean advised, but Sam ignored him again. **"Sam, you're gonna burn out if you don't pace yourself."**

The brunet's only response was a flicker of his eyes from one spot on the screen to another, still disregarding his brother's words. Dean sighed and reached over the desk to push the lid of the laptop down. Just like when they were at Rummy's, Sam managed to jerk his hands away to avoid having his fingers crushed and he glared at his brother interrupting his searching.

 **"** **Sam, I'm telling you this because I love you. You smell like a mid-term study session."**

The younger Hunter's face twisted in irritated confusion at Dean's remark. **"** **What does that even mean?"**

 **"** **It means, you reek like a post-initiation Frat boy. Go take a shower or I'm gonna throw boiling water on you."**

 **"** **I'm fine. Just let me work."** Sam reached for his laptop, but Dean pulled the battery out and took it off the desk to set it on his lap. Without the laptop, Sam had no choice but to give his brother his full attention. **  
**

 **"** **You've been looking at traffic cams and decoding these books nonstop for** ** _days_** **, Sam. We've tried at least forty-five spells to summon Zia, Cas or Gabriel here or to pinpoint where they are and nothing's worked so far."** Dean told his brother, sympathy heavy in each of his words.

Sam could see the worry in Dean's eyes. He knew his big brother was always worried about him, but it wasn't the usual concern. It was the kind of uncertainty Sam only recalled seeing when he was a little boy and he caught a cold. John was gone, so Dean was left to nurse Sam back to health with the only home remedy he knew: tomato soup and a lullaby of _Hey Jude_ like Mary did to him. Every time Sam coughed or sniffled, he was terrified that his little brother wasn't going to get better, but after a week, Sammy was back on his feet.

 **"You want me to stop trying, to give up on her?"** Sam accused, a scowl inching on his face.

 **"I'm just asking you to take a break and get yourself together. Take a h** **ot shower, get some grub, maybe take a nap, then you can get right back to it."** Dean clarified. When it didn't look like Sam was convinced, Dean had to bull out the big guns. **"You know Aziza wouldn't want you to run yourself into the ground like this."**

That last comment had successfully made Sam lose his grimace and he thought about his girlfriend, not that she ever left his mind. Dean was right. Aziza wouldn't want him to run himself ragged like he was doing now. If she could see him in the disheveled state he was currently in, he could picture the look of concern on her face before she tried pulling him away from the desk.

Sam sighed and put his elbows on the desk, his face in his hands as he rubbed his eyes. He was so worried about Aziza. He had no idea where she was or where she could've gone, not the slightest clue as to who could've taken her. With that supposed Demon attack in Wyoming, there was no reason to believe that Lucifer kidnapped his Soulmate if his Demons were still running wild, trying to capture his attention. As the Fallen Archangel's true Vessel, the younger Winchester felt like a certain feeling would overcome him if Lucifer obtained Aziza, but he hasn't felt anything out of the ordinary.

The brunet dropped his hands from his face, almost shyly peeking at Dean. **"…** **do I really smell?"**

 **"** **Sam, flies wouldn't even swarm around you."** His brother smirked and Sam quietly huffed. He agreed to take a shower and stood from the desk, his long limbs feeling stiff and heavy due to being in the same position for a prolonged amount of time. Dean was eyeing Sam's messy hair. It looked like a tiny tornado had a party on Sam's head. **"** **Gimme five minutes with some clippers and you'll feel like a new man."  
**

 **"** **You're not cutting my hair, Dean."** Sam refused his brother's offer and went down the hall towards the bathroom. **  
**

Sam ran himself a hot shower and let his head rest on the ceramic wall, his head bowed as the hot water rained down on him. He stayed like that for 20 minutes, letting the water run down his back and soak his hair as he tried to think positive thoughts on the whereabouts and conditions of Aziza, Castiel and Gabriel.

The only recurring theory Sam had was that Castiel had indeed followed Aziza when she left home and maybe she called Gabriel. The Archangel would've tried to wipe his and Dean's memories like he said, but Aziza would convince him to leave the Winchesters be. After that, she and Gabe would be off to a new place and they brought Castiel along with them. The Angel might have a profound bond with Dean, but Gabriel was his big brother and Sam remembered how emotional Cas was when he first saw Gabe back in Arizona, so he wouldn't want to be separated from him again, even if it meant cutting ties with the Winchesters.

But, he couldn't stop thinking about that burned circle they found in California and which divine being could've been trapped inside it.

When the water started running cold, Sam thoroughly scrubbed himself from head to toe and washed his hair. When he stepped out of the shower, he shaved and threw on a clean pair of clothes. He actually felt a little better. He decided to get something to eat and when he passed the mini living room, he noticed that Dean was missing. Coming downstairs, Sam almost crashed into Dean as he came out of the kitchen. From the look on the older Hunter's face, there was some bad news to be told.

Dean and Sam went to the breakfast bar and Dean's phone was on the counter. He tapped the screen and pushed the 'Speaker' button.

 **"What?"** He roughly spat at the person calling.

 ** _"_** ** _I know you weren't raised in the most extravagant of lifestyles, but are your manners_ that _rusty, Dean?"_** Sam's brows furrowed when Crowley's accented voice drifted from the phone. **_"Is that any way to greet an old friend?"_**

 **"** **Spit it out, Crowley. What do you want?"** Dean demanded, clearly not in the mood for pleasantries. **  
**

 ** _"_** ** _I believe I have something that you want. Some_** **things,** ** _actually."_** The Demon King baited. ** _"Tell me, are you lot short one adorably clueless Angel and one limited-edition Soulmate?"_**

Sam snatched the phone and almost crushed the device in his grip, nose flared as he growled into the receiver, **"** **What did you do to her?"**

Crowley chuckled at Sam's anger. ** _"Untwist your panties, Samantha._** ** _She's perfectly fine, as is Castiel."_**

 **"** **Where's Gabriel?"**

 ** _"_** ** _I'm not running an angelic daycare,_ Bullwinkle _. We can handle Angels, but my kind tends to keep their distance from any of the four of Heaven's most terrifying weapons."_** Sam rolled his eyes at Crowley's remark, but his attention shifted to Dean's waving hand. He set the phone back on the counter and grabbed the ends, hoping to keep calm through whatever antics Crowley had.

 **"What do you want from us in exchange for Aziza and Cas?"** Dean questioned the Demon, sounding like a hostage negotiator. **  
**

 ** _"_** ** _Not a thing. If you want them, you can have them. If you'd have called, I would've handed them over sooner."_** Crowley replied and his answer made Dean and Sam look at each other. They were surprised by what he said, but knew better than to believe him. The Demon wanted something, but before Dean could ask, Crowley spoke again. **_"Before you start questioning my intentions like the cynical inbreeds you are, don't. I'm texting you a location, be there at nine."_**

And with that, the call ended. A second later, Dean's phone buzzed and a message notification could be seen in the status bar.

Dean and Sam were left standing in silence with a big decision looming over their heads. They could ignore Crowley and continue their fruitless search for their family...or they could walk right into a trap and possibly be killed by the Demon King. There was the thread of possibility that Crowley was actually telling the truth, that he had Aziza and Cas, but he would put the boys through some kind of hell before he handed them over.

It was 5:30pm. They only had three hours to decide what to do.


	27. And Die in Beautiful Stars Tonight

Dean and Sam were leaning on Baby's grille, looking out at the endless, grassy hills with the mountains far off in the distance and grasshoppers playing hide and seek within the green blades. They were still in Colorado, but they made the half-hour drive to Montezuma and were currently at the peak of St. John's Trail. This is where Crowley wanted them to meet him, but they boys have been stationed in the same spot for an hour and there was no sign of the Demon.

After Crowley called them, the brothers took a second to weigh the pros and cons of what was clearly a trap. Crowley offered no form of proof to his claim of having Aziza and Castiel in his possession, didn't send a picture or let either being talk to the boys. The question of where the hell Gabriel could be came up again because they actually believed that Crowley wasn't stupid enough to take on another Archangel after what happened with Lucifer.

With that in mind, they came to the conclusion that Crowley actually had Castiel and was using the blue-eyed Angel to lure the Winchesters out of their stronghold that was the cabin. They could only guess that Gabriel and Aziza had gone off on their own, that maybe Gabriel transported them to some kind of alternative reality to ensure the safety of the blonde.

So, they decided to meet with Crowley, but they refused to walk into his trap with their dicks in their hands. They made a supply run before they drove to Montezuma. They bought a few bags of salt and drew lines around the field. There was one made around Baby too and the boys were safely inside the barrier. Partially hidden by their legs were 3-gallon yard sprayers, filled to the brim with Holy Water, and Dean had an iron fire poker hanging on the waistband of his jeans while Sam had the Demon-Killing Knife in a sheath strapped to his thigh; as always, their pistols were loaded and ready to fire.

Sam's leg had started to restlessly shake just a minute ago and Dean knew it was only a matter of seconds before the brunet was going to start pacing. His brother was becoming uncontrollably fidgety with each passing second. Sam's solid outlook was beginning to crumble and while Dean still looked calm, on the inside, he was just as antsy. They finally had some kind of lead on their missing family and their combined anxiety of what could happen tonight, if they'd go home as a reunited family or be preparing a Hunter's funeral, was practically leaking out of their pores.

Suddenly, Crowley appeared a few spaces away from the boys and they both stood, watching as the Demon King strolled a little closer to them.

 **"You're an hour late."** Dean carped.

 **"I don't just roll out of bed looking like the devilishly handsome creature you see before you **,** **Squirrel**. It takes time to look this good** **."** Crowley smiled at the older Hunter, always looking forward to bantering with Dean, but his eyes traveled down to the salt circle the men were in. He chuckled, shaking his head at how predictive Hunters were. **"I've noticed your precautionary tactics. Can't say I'm surprised. That's such a Winchester thing to do."**

 **"** **Where are they?"** Sam demanded, his tone as strong and sturdy as the mountains being used as their background.

Crowley's eyes lazily went to Sam, scrutinizing him from head to toe, sensing how tense the brunet was. A smile spread across his lips, serving to further annoy the life out of Sam. From past encounters, Crowley knew that it was much easier to get under the younger Winchester's skin by picking at the scabs that were the most tender. Sam's weak spot was the family he held so dearly to his heart and that used to be only his brother, but now, there were more pieces on the board to be toyed with.

The Demon King mulled over teasing the brunet for a moment, just wanting to prove how easy it'd be to get a rise out of the tall man, but he thought against it. He didn't like playing with his food. It was unprofessional. He was already unintentionally late to this rendezvous and didn't need to further damage his image.

 **"** **As promised, one untouched Angel."**

Crowley snapped his fingers and Castiel appeared just a few inches behind the Demon. However, the blue-eyed being didn't stand for long and he swayed before falling into a limp heap in the grass like a Scarecrow falling off of its post.

Dean had to force himself not to cross the salt barrier and run to Cas' side to make sure he was okay. He hasn't seen the blue-eyed being in what felt like years and when he finally does, Cas isn't even conscious.

All of Heaven and Hell and everything in between should know better than to hurt that specific Angel while in his presence because if Dean Winchester witnessed anyone or any _thing_ bringing harm to Castiel, to _his Angel,_ he would do such ungodly, inhumane things to them that he would be deemed the new Devil.

Dean's emerald eyed glare landed on Crowley, a dangerous flame flickering in his orbs. **"** **What'd you do to him?"**

 **"** **Precautionary tactic, same as you. We wouldn't want dear Castiel to interfere with this business transaction, would we?"** Crowley looked over his shoulder at the unconscious Angel in the grass. **"He has a reputation for mucking things up."**

 **"** **Where's Aziza?"** Sam interrogated, the tips of his shoes just barely touching the salt line as he palmed the handle of the Demon-Killing Knife.

Crowley turned to face the brothers again, looking so calm and smug with his hands in his suit jacket's pockets. He didn't say a word, simply pointed behind them. Dean refused to take his eyes off the Demon, not trusting the fiend when his back was turned, but Sam was quick to whip around. His heart ached in relief when he saw a head of blonde hair sitting on the trunk of the Impala.

Sam's hand reached out for his brother, hot tears stinging his eyes at the sight of Aziza still alive and unharmed. He squeezed Dean's shoulder and the elder brother tore his eyes away from Crowley to look at Sam. He followed his brother's stare and saw the blonde sitting on the trunk. Crowley was the last thing on his mind as he and Sam slowly rounded the car, but before they got to the back, Aziza slid off the trunk. She now stood with her back to them, a foot or so separating her from the brothers.

 **"Aziza** **?"** Sam called, an almost desperate tone hidden in his voice, as he inched towards her.

Dean was taking baby steps behind Sam, red flags going off in his head for some reason. He was worried about Aziza because she's been with Crowley all this time and who knows what the Demon could've done to her. She hasn't said a word or ran to hug Sam and that was just making his suspicion skyrocket. He looked to the trunk where she was just a moment ago and noticed the portion of salt swiped away from the line.

Dean's gut was now flipping, a chill running down his spine. Something was very off here and he looked at Crowley from over Baby's roof, saw the smirk on the Demon's face as he watched. Forget the flags, that sight made a burning red flare shoot into the sky. Now overly cautious of the situation, he reached out for Sam, grasping at air as he kept his eyes on the Demon, then he started blindly walking to his brother. He only took two steps when he bumped into a frozen Sam.

The younger Hunter had just watched as a black tail uncoiled from around Aziza's leg; it was now lazily swaying left and right. When he heard a sound, almost like a fork breaking into the flaky crust of a pie or a wicker basket being crunched under someone's feet, his eyes traveled up to the back of her head. Black horns began to grow out of the sides of her head, their spiraled shape resembling the bony outgrowths of a Greater Kudu antelope. She finally turned around and a cold shower of fear poured down over Sam when he saw her eyes.

They weren't that dazzling shade of azure or a dangerously glowing lavender.

Her eyes were blacker than charcoal, bottomless and insensate. The twinkling stars above couldn't even reflect off of the darkness that dominated her orbs.

Demonic Aziza looked between Sam and Dean, trying to decide which one she wanted to kill first. Since she liked massacring that barn full of teenagers so much, Crowley told her that he'd be taking her out to hunt Humans more often to quench her bloodlust and he was going to let her have two _special_ Humans tonight, promised her that she'd get to murder the world's deadliest men.

As her attention shifted between the boys, she didn't see Sam and Dean or even their faces. Just like Angels and Demons did, she saw their Souls, but there wasn't an ounce of familiarity within them.

With Dean's Soul, she had this crazed voice in her head telling her to slaughter him and devour his head. She felt betrayal and anger and pain all because of Dean's Soul. When she looked at Sam's Soul, she didn't get much of a feeling from it. She felt the immense source of comforting warmth his Soul discharged, but there was no negativity there and her attention seemed to be pulled back to Dean. It was as if Sam's Soul was pointing at Dean's and telling her to attack.

Intrigued by the sensation coming from the elder brother, Demonic Aziza began her slow prowl towards the man, her tail remaining low to the ground, like a snake slithering in the grass, with it's pointed end ready to impale anything that got in her way.

Dean gripped Sam's arm impossibly tight and began backing away from whatever was coming towards them. He did not see any trace of Aziza within this evil creature, reasoned that Crowley had one of his minions possessing the sweet girl. He was going to _kill_ Crowley, but right now, he was trying to come up with a plan to get Aziza back to normal without hurting her.

Sam planted his feet into the grass and stopped Dean from moving them away from Demonic Aziza. He didn't know what kind of evil was in her, but he was going to get it out. He was going to save her, he _had to_. When Dean tried to pull him away again, Sam jerked his arm from his brother's hold and boldly began marching towards the blonde.

 ** _"_** ** _Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus,  
omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii,  
_** ** _omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica_** ** _"_**

Demonic Aziza stopped upon hearing Sam commanding an expulsion of evil, her head cocking to the side in a gesture that would've been adorable if it weren't for her current appearance. She was hearing a translation of his words in her head, but she was more so intrigued by his courage. Humans or Demons got one look at her and would usually be screaming in fear or running away. She could clearly smell the fear on Sam, yet he didn't back down or scream in terror and the change of pace interested her.

 ** _"_** ** _Ergo, draco maledicte et omnis legio diabolica, adjuramus te  
_** ** _Cessa decipere humanas creaturas,  
eisque æternæ perditionìs venenum propinare_**

 ** _Vade, satana, inventor et magister omnis fallaciæ,  
hostis humanæ salutis_**

 ** _Humiliare sub potenti manu Dei, contremisce et effuge,  
invocato a nobis sancto et terribili Nomini quem inferi tremunt_**

 ** _Ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos_** ** _"_**

Sam finished the incantation and couldn't wait until whatever filth was polluting Aziza was expelled from her body. He didn't care if he had to march to Hell and fight every Demon within the Inferno by himself. He was going to find the Demon that possessed her and make it suffer _harrowing_ pain.

He stared at Aziza, waiting for that moment, but it didn't come. She was still looking at him with her head cocked to the side, still interested in the Hunter, but she didn't begin screaming as a tortured, black Soul escaped her mouth. Her horns did not retreat back into her skull or fall off, her tail did not detach or disappear and her black eyes did not change to azure.

 **"** **Oh, Samantha. That was adorable."** Crowley chuckled, having appeared behind Aziza. He had come prepared, knowing that the Winchesters were bound to have some tricks up their sleeves. He had a Binding Link seared onto his ankle. It was easily hidden to prevent anyone from damaging it or for a pair of troublesome Hunters to exorcise him. **"And it would've worked if there was a Demon possessing her."**

Sam's lungs constricted at Crowley's words, his organs almost forgetting how to breathe. If a Demon wasn't possessing Aziza, why the hell was she in the condition that she was? **"** **What the hell did you do to her?"**

 **"** **Aziza may or may not have been on a very strict Demon Blood diet while she was with me and that may or may not be responsible for her current state."** Crowley nonchalantly answered, looking at Aziza with a dark fondness in his eyes.

In this form, the blonde was completely obedient to Crowley, a fierce weapon idly waiting to be used for mass destruction, and that's all he could ask for. If he told her to kill, she'd slaughter whatever he wanted her to without question. She held no remorse or guilt, there were no feelings or morals keeping her from thinking twice. She was better than his Demons, and even his Hellhound, because she was indefinitely loyal _to him_ and her favor couldn't be swayed. He didn't even have faith that Lucifer could turn her against him now and they were destined to be in love.

Crowley was going to use that advantage to get rid of the Fallen Archangel once and for all. He was going to prove that he was the only King of Hell and any Demon that thought otherwise would feel his wrath. With Aziza at his beck and call, he would rule Hell however he saw fit for _eons_ to come.

 **"** **You** ** _corrupted_** **her!"** Dean barked from beside his shock-frozen brother

 **"** **Oops."** Crowley shrugged, unapologetic. He looked to Demonic Aziza, taking in her tail and ominous horns, and smirked at her. **"Have fun with these two, dove."**

Then, Crowley was gone, leaving Dean and Sam to deal with Demonic Aziza. Knowing that there wasn't a Demon possessing her, they didn't know what to do now. The only cure they knew for Demon Blood was detoxing, but from the blonde's condition, it seemed as though the unholy blood seemed to be coursing through her own veins now. How were they going to drain that out of her?

When Aziza moved, the brothers flinched back. Her arm had come up and was outstretched in Sam's direction, but he wasn't forced back by her power.

 ** _"_** ** _Age nunc intellectum_** **  
** ** _Age nunc intellectum atque voluntatem omnem meam"_**

She lowly growled a conjuration, the sound that came out of her mouth could only belong to something that belonged in an _Insidious_ movie.

Unseen by either man, a small swarm of grasshoppers had converged around Sam, hidden in the grass, and began flapping their wings. The sound was amplified to the loudest intensity comprehensible to Human ears, an intensely shrill noise that made Sam's brain painfully throb. He fell to his knees, his hands pressing into his ears in an attempt to have so much as a _second_ of relief from the relentless torture of the earsplitting sound, but it was no use. He could still hear it and he screamed, his brain feeling like a hatching egg.

 **"** **Sam!"** Dean called his brother, on the verge of panicking, but Sam was still howling in pain. His agonized wail was abruptly cut short when Sam's hazel-green eyes rolled to the back of his head and he passed out, his body's only option to protect itself.

Dean almost broke out in a sprint to get to his brother, but Demonic Aziza made her way into his path. He stared at her, noticed how her tail was curled towards the end and flicking from side to side like a puppy that wanted to be chased by its owner. He knew that he couldn't take her on like this because that's what she wanted. She wanted him to fight and fight until he had nothing left, then she'd play with him a little more, drain that last drop of valor, before she finally killed him.

Dean looked over Demonic Aziza's form and to Sam's body, motionless in the grass. Then, without warning, he spun around and dashed in the other direction, headed for the front of Baby where the 3-gallon sprayers were. He didn't know what happened to Aziza, but he knew that any and everything from Hell hated Holy Water. He almost made it to the front when something coiled around his ankle, almost crushing his bone with the constriction, and made him fall to the ground. He was dragged back a few meters, then harshly thrown into the side of the Impala, cracking the passenger window.

Dean slumped against his car with a pained groan, feeling like there was a bed of nails being pressed into his back. He saw Demonic Aziza stalking towards him and reached for his gun, planning his shot to be in her arm or leg to slow her down while he recovered. He extended his arm to take the shot, but her tail shot out and wound around his arm. The heavy constriction was easily cutting off all circulation to his hand and Dean could even see it beginning to turn red. He tried to fight against it, but let out half of a scream when more pressure was added, almost, but not fully breaking his forearm. His gun fell from his numb hand, but before he could try to grab it with his other, that damned tail uncoiled from around his arm to shoot out for his throat.

Demonic Aziza dragged Dean away from the Impala by his throat and lifted him a few feet off the ground. She watched him struggle in the air, smiling at how his legs were kicking and how his hands were trying to pry her tail from around his throat. That's what she liked about killing Humans. The Demons would accept their fate almost instantly, never fought, only ran away. That bored her. Even when there was no hope for them, Humans fought against their impending death. They would not go gentle into that good night. In death's clutches, they burned against their end and she liked that.

Dean's vision had begun to dull and he could feel the life slipping out of him. He felt like he was going to die tonight and in the worst of ways, being unable to save his little brother, Aziza or Castiel. He let his entire family down and he was going to die a _failure_.

Maybe it was because he was panicking and on the verge of death, but Dean used what little consciousness he had left to send out a prayer. He never thought he'd contact anyone in Heaven for anything, but he was out of options at the moment.

The tail strangling Dean suddenly began to slacken its grip around his throat until the Hunter collapsed to the ground in a coughing fit. Looking up, he saw that Demonic Aziza's eyes were no longer obsidian, they'd shrunken down to two black circles. Then, she threw her head back and screamed, a blood-curdling wail. From her opened mouth, it looked like something was electrocuting her from the inside because Dean could see flashes of orange, just like when he or Sam would stab a Demon with the Demon-Killing knife.

A glimmer made Dean look down and he just barely recognized something gold…going through Demonic Aziza's stomach, impaling her and being coated in her blood, before it was pulled backwards. She would've fell to the ground, but something caught her. It was a man.

Dean's first thought was that Crowley had slithered back because he saw black hair and what looked to be a matching suit, but the Demon King didn't have such chilling, icy-blue eyes. These blue orbs were too cold, too heartless, to belong to Castiel and glancing at the spot where the Angel was, Dean saw that he was still lying stationary in the grass.

The unknown man had Demonic Aziza cradled in his left arm while his right hand was holding that golden, blood-stained object that killed her. It was a silver sword rimmed with gold and such beautiful, celestial details decorating the fuller. Enochian symbols were carved into the debole and there was a green gem of some kind surrounded by gold on the central ridge. The weapon looked as beautiful as it did dangerous.

The man raised the sword and put it behind his back. He wore no scabbard, but the sword stayed in place before disappearing from Dean's sight. The man began to lower Demonic Aziza's cadaver to the ground and he layered her arms atop one another on her stomach in what could only be described as a gesture of respect.

Dean was inching away from the man and towards his brother. He didn't know where his gun was, but he could see Sam's and he needed to be prepared if this guy decided to slaughter him too.

 **"** **I'm not going to hurt you, Dean."** The Hunter froze when he heard the man's voice.

Looking forward, Dean saw that the blue-eyed guy was standing at his feet and his intense stare was sending chills down Dean's spine. He already knew that this wasn't a Hunter who just so happened to be passing by. This man had to be something supernatural, but Dean was sure he wasn't a Demon because he would've been dragging Sam to Lucifer by now.

Dean suddenly remembered his panicked prayer.

 **"…** **Michael?"** He questioned, seeking clarity on the man's identity, and received a short nod in return. Dean knew Michael would've heard his prayer, but it was a one in a trillion chance that the first Archangel would actually answer. **"I didn't think you'd show."**

 **"** **You mistake me for Castiel. I will not come running when you call unless you're ready to consent."** Michael's eyes narrowed at Dean as if the Hunter had insulted him in some way. **"Someone else prayed to me and informed me of the lunacy going on, that my Soulmate was in danger and had been corrupted."**

Michael had heard Dean's cry for help, but he was willing to ignore it. Based on the futures he's seen, the Archangel knew which scenarios would lead to Dean consenting to his possession and this was not one of them.

The prayer that made Michael stray from his celestial home came from someone all of Heaven believed to be dead.

It came from his brother, from Gabriel.

Just hearing Gabriel's voice pleading to Michael was reason enough for him to descend from Heaven and answer his prayers. The third Archangel had gotten straight to the point, saying that Aziza had been captured by a Demon that wasn't a follower of Lucifer and that he was destroying her purity.

Before Crowley left the Asylum with her, he made the mistake of showing Gabriel what had become of the baby girl he was so protective over in California. The Archangel's never seen Aziza in the condition she was in and he didn't want believe it was her, but knew that the Demon had severely corrupted her.

Before that, Gabriel didn't try to escape the Asylum since he surrendered, fearing that he'd be endangering Aziza's life, but when Crowley bragged about letting Aziza kill the Winchesters tonight, along with Castiel because he didn't need the Angel anymore, he fought with everything he had to break free. Crowley gave his henchmen orders to keep the Archangel beaten a moment away from death, but to _try_ to save him for later so that Aziza could finish the job.

Michael nearly obliterated an entire city in his frenzy to find a Vessel that could hold him long enough to do what needed to be done. Long ago, something of the same thing had happened to his Soulmate. Something evil and vile had found her and raised her to be malevolent. The saying 'It's all in the upbringing' had never rang such truer words. Michael was the one to put an end to his Soulmate's corruption that day and it seemed as if history were repeating itself because he had to do the same thing tonight.

Michael wanted to locate Gabriel too, but the connection linking Michael-to prayer-to supplicant was abruptly severed. If his younger brother had truly called, begging was more like it, then Michael wanted to bring him back to Heaven and hoped Gabriel would aid him in defeating Lucifer.

Prior to hearing his little brother's prayer, Michael already had reason to believe that Gabriel was alive. Whenever Aziza would visit the retreat he built for her, she would always mention a 'Gabe' and there were some comments that could only be referenced to a divine being. He sent Angels to scout for his little brother, but the searches came back the same, that Gabriel was nowhere to be found.

If he'd have gotten the chance, Michael would've questioned Gabriel on why he faked his own death, but more on how he knew about his Soulmate. The Cupids who assisted in constructing her didn't even have knowledge of her. He knew the Angels were searching for the 'Human' the Demons called their Queen, but he only informed a select few of them, those who were assisting him in conducting this Apocalypse like Zachariah, about his Soulmate. Even then, he only told them the bare minimum about her and that she was the most important component of their plan.

All the thoughts in Michael's head suddenly went silent. His eyes widened a bit in surprise, but his gaze lifted to the nighttime sky. He watched as a far-off, glittering comet grazed Earth's dark sky and left a lavender streak in its path. His Soulmate was safe. She was reborn, cleansed and now, she was falling.

Michael was a second away from summoning a pair of Angels to locate his Soulmate, but before he could move, a mangled grunt ripped from his chest.

Dean watched, unknowing what to do, as Michael continued to release raspy grunts and he noticed red patches of skin began to scar his body. It took another second of thought, but Dean realized that the Archangel was burning out of his Vessel in the most literal sense.

Lucifer's been using spells to slow the deterioration of his Vessel, but since he imprisoned his brother in the Cage, Michael hasn't come to Earth. As the first Archangel, whatever temporary Vessel he found that could hold him wouldn't last long, not even a day.

Suddenly, Michael threw his head back and released a long scream that echoed for miles. A bright, white light escaped his open mouth and was burning out his Vessel's eyes as he was ejected from the no longer inhabitable soma. The black-haired man fell to the ground and most of his skin was so scorched that it began to resemble a pile of charcoal.

Dean had crawled over to his brother and tried to wake him, his injured arm clutched to his chest. He didn't know what spell Aziza- no, that _demonic thing_ had used, but he remembered the words and he'd figure it out. Once he was sure Sam was still breathing, he was going to get Castiel and he had to high-tail it to California to bring Aziza home before something worse than Crowley found her.

Unknown to Dean, another Archangel was watching him from afar.

Whenever Michael jumped into a Vessel and burned out of it, Lucifer always knew where his brother had been. He came to investigate because he knew Dean didn't consent to his brother's possession. All the Angels would've been screaming in joy on Angel Radio if that happened. Lucifer wanted to know what was so important that it made Michael come down from Heaven.

Looking up, he watched the beautiful sight of his mate descending from the stars and tracked the course of her fall with his divine senses. He knew the exact spot she'd land, but he lingered for a moment. He needed to make sure Sam was going to be alright, that Michael hadn't tried to kill him. Once Dean pulled one of Sam's arms over his shoulders and hobbled over to Castiel, Lucifer took that as a green light on his true Vessel not being seriously injured.

Within a moment's thought, Lucifer transported himself to the location where his mate was due to land. He knew he was no longer in the same State as the Winchesters. He was in some kind of forest with giant trees, but he was standing before the largest one within the woodlands. He could feel some kind of energy radiating from the massive tree and he put his hand on the trunk, but the force wasn't coming from the tree. It was coming from _inside_ it.

Lucifer rounded the tree until he came across a crevice within the trunk. He dropped to a knee and watched as a darling baby crawled out of the cranny; accompanying her white dress was a starry blanket tangled around her tiny foot. She looked at Lucifer with those bright azure eyes, saw the white glow of his folded wings, and she beamed at him, all gums and drool.

 **"** **Hello, valentine."** He smiled back.

* * *

The exorcism I used was from S:3 EP:12 - Jus in Bello where Dean and Sam were trapped in a police station with a horde of Demons outside and Ruby claimed to know a spell ( _Virgin Sacrifice Spell_ on the super-wiki page) that would get rid of the Demons, and herself, which required the heart of a virgin, but they didn't let her kill Nancy, even after she volunteered to be sacrificed. They used this incantation to exorcise that mass horde of Demons.

 _We exorcise you, every impure spirit, every satanic power,  
every incursion of the infernal adversary, every legion, every congregation and diabolical sect_

 _Therefore, cursed dragon, and you, diabolical legions, we adjure you,  
_ _stop deceiving human creatures, and poison of eternal damnation_

 _Begone, Satan, inventor and master of all deceit, enemy of man's salvation,  
_ _Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, tremble and flee when we invoke the Holy and terrible name to the name of which causes hell to tremble_

 _From the snares, deliver us_

Demonic!Aziza used a spell from S:12 EP:11- Regarding Dean. This is the Will Manifestation Spell a witch used to render Sam unconscious using butterflies. According to the site, the spell translates to: _Go to now, my understanding, and my entire will_

This was a hard chapter for me to write, so I'd love to hear what you guys thought of it.  
Thanks so much for sticking with this story!❤️


	28. And then, the Devil Took Your Memory

In the presence of one of the two beings she was destined to bond with, Aziza's growth had drastically spiked and she aged into a teenager within a few hours. Unlike before, she seemed comfortable enough around Lucifer. Not once has she told him to go away or mentioned the Winchesters or Gabriel.

It took a moment of staring at her, but Lucifer realized that she no longer wore the purple bracelet she had when he slaughtered those _filthy_ pagan gods in Indiana, the first time he saw her since he was released from the Cage. That was the one thing he noticed was different about her and he wondered if the jewelry was something his little brother made to tamper with his mate's memories, if it was why she was cloaked from he and Michael.

Lucifer and Aziza were currently staying in a lavish condo because the Fallen Archangel wanted to put some distance between themselves and the Winchesters, but he didn't want to take her to Hell so suddenly. It would be the first time she's ever been there, but he feared that Aziza would be too frightened by him asking her if she'd be comfortable going there, even though there was nothing to fear because not a single Demon lurking in Hell would _dare_ harm her. He wanted to spend time with her first, earn her trust and love, before he escorted his Queen to the Inferno.

Since his mate matured to her usual age, Lucifer's managed to sit down and talk with Aziza without turning into a quivering puddle of nervousness. They sat out on the balcony at a candlelit table, the city they were in was drenched in the nighttime darkness and glowing with streetlights or passing cars, and he explained her existence as best as he could, since he still didn't fully understand what she was. He didn't tell her that she was destined to be his Bride or Michael's Wrath, never mentioned the Apocalypse, because that's not how things went when they first met.

Initially, Lucifer was drawn to Aziza's alluring presence until he found her and he watched her from afar for a while, unbelieving of how beautiful one being could be, but once the need to be closer to her overwhelmed him, he mustered up the courage to introduce himself. He vividly remembered the sparkle in her eyes when they had their first conversation, the first time she heard his voice.

And when she smiled at him, told him her name, that's when he fell so deep and helplessly in love with her.

Lucifer's heart was _singing_ when he was rewarded with that familiar sparkle in Aziza's eyes after introductions. Like he expected, she asked questions about what she was and he told her what he could, shared the pieces of information he managed to learn about her. He reminded her about her love for spell-casting and flowers, then remembered one of the many gifts he had for her.

Lucifer left the balcony for a second and when he returned, the blonde gasped in awe at the bouquet of flowers he had for her. Fresh violet-blue Sweet Peas, lavender Roses, white, puce-pink and lilac-purple mini Calla Lilies were bound together by a white ribbon.

Lucifer adored the way Aziza gushed over the bouquet and was reminded of how he grew a great Japanese Wisteria tree with rosy-pink petals for his mate not too long after he discovered her, after he learned how much she liked flowers. So much time was spent under that tree. Candlelit dates, their first kiss, stargazing. Lucifer built them a home with that tree in the backyard and it almost served as a symbol of their love. He couldn't grow her another giant tree in their current location, but it seemed like they were recreating history and Lucifer was unbelievably grateful to have some kind of familiarity, some happiness, in his existence again.

Aziza surprised Lucifer a bit when she hugged him in thanks, reminding him of how affectionate she was, but all the Fallen Archangel could think about was the warm and fuzzy sensation coating him from head to toe due to his mate's touch. It's been too long since he last felt her skin on his and being reacquainted with it was almost addictive. His Grace was merrily thrumming in waves against her, recognizing his Soulmate. He feared that she would be repelled by the coldness of his body, but he thought back to all the times that she's touched him and would never say anything about his iciness. He wondered if she felt the love he had burning for her instead.

As she pulled away from him, the feelings dying away along with her separation, Lucifer knew that he would want more physical contact from his mate. He was starved of it. He liked having her close to him, liked the feelings he experienced due to her touch, and he adored the smell of white Lillies that scented her hair. That was yet another trait of hers that time hadn't changed.

Lucifer ushered Aziza inside and to the living room of their temporary home. He watched as she drifted to the sofa to sit down and lovingly stoke her flowers. Just staring at her made so many memories play before his eyes of them being together and him learning about his beautiful mate. He remembered another thing she used to like and decided to see if she still enjoyed it.

 **"Can I tell you a story?"** Lucifer asked and a tingle ran down his eyes when his mate's azure eyes lifted to meet the baby-blue ones of his Vessel.

 **"About what?"** She asked with a hint of curiosity in her tone and Lucifer smiled. He already had her hooked with the mere mention of a tale to tell.

 **"Humanity."** He answered and Aziza looked more interested in hearing what he had to say because she delicately set her flowers on the coffee table in front of her, giving him her full attention.

Lucifer offered to put her flowers in a vase with water and went to the kitchen to do so. While he was in there, he spotted a white kettle on the electric stove and remembered that his mate favored tea over coffee. He filled the kettle with water and snapped his fingers, handmade teabags appeared on the counter next to a serving tray holding a tea set. While the kettle was brewing their tea, Lucifer rummaged through the cabinets in search of snacks to serve. He found a bag of chocolate truffles, some having strawberry fillings instead of chocolate, and decided to serve them with lemon cookies from a bakery.

 **"One trait of my Father is that he doesn't seem to believe in revising or editing. When he makes something, he lets it go into the world as it is. With all its faults and mistakes."** Lucifer began his promised story as he reentered the living room. He set the treats on the coffee table in front of Aziza and watched, smiling, as she reached for the chocolate. He remembered her sweet tooth. He went to the other side of the table and sat on the matching sofa. **"He always sees His creations as perfect just as He initially crafted them, but He realizes the mistakes He made after watching His offspring. For example, Father created a dozen Krakens and set them loose to examine their behavior, their lives. They were bestial sea creatures, ate or destroyed anything that came within 20-feet of them and virtually indestructible. Their teeth could be mistaken for rocks and ships or boats would try to maneuver around them, only to be caught in the clever Kraken's trap. They often killed each other because they were so irate."**

 **"Why were they so upset?"** Aziza inquired, a half-eaten truffle in one hand and a lemon cookie with a missing chunk in the other. **"Were they…I dunno, seasick?"**

Lucifer softly laughed at her suggestion, but he was glad that she asked. It told him that she was actively listening and his mate always had a peculiar way of looking at things, her perspective of life always keeping him on his toes.

 **"It is simply how they were created, tempestuous and aggressive."** Lucifer replied. He honestly had no other answer because he didn't create the beasts, did not know their genetic coding or reasoning behind their creation other than his Father wanting to add more creatures to Earth for the Humans to discover. **"When Humans came along and built their ships to discover more of the world, there were only two female Kraken left in existence. The Kraken's hostility is the reason for its own extinction. With the Humans being killed by the Kraken, Father decided to intervene. He called upon Poseidon to capture and tame one Kraken while He revised the second. Father made it less hostile, reduced its size and set it free again with another of the opposite gender to copulate. The new Kraken was shyer than before and often stayed hidden deep within the seas. When it was discovered by Humans, they named it 'giant squid.'"**

Lucifer couldn't help but roll his eyes at that. Humans thought they were _so clever_ when they named his Father's creatures, but Lucifer thought they had the minds of infants.

For that century before he fell, he watched the little hairless apes on their little planet and couldn't find a single thing about them that was superior or incredible. He thought they were herds of _filthy_ swine rolling around in their own fecal matter, yet his Father commanded all the Angels to bow to these walking disasters. He didn't understand why anyone would think Humans were superior then and after all the time spent in the Cage, he hasn't found a single exceptional thing about them now.

 **"I thought you were going to tell me a story about Humans."** Lucifer came out of his thoughts when his mate spoke. Looking at her, Lucifer watched as she slid the candy and cookies to the middle of the table in a gesture to share them. **"You told me about Krakens."**

He smiled at her generosity and took one of the lemon cookies. **"That was the prelude."** He told her before taking a bite.

She still enjoyed hearing him tell her stories, Lucifer could see it in her eyes. He wondered if her reasons were the same as they were long ago, that she liked hearing his voice when he told her ancient tales because it was like hearing how a book would sound if it could tell its own story. Lucifer was certain that he's never received a better compliment in his existence.

 **"Originally, Father designed Humans with two faces, four arms, twenty fingers, four legs and twenty toes. Such a strange prototype…"** The Fallen Archangel continued with his stories, his brows pulling together as he remembered when God began His creation of Humans. In comparison to His other creations, Humans were...different, to say the least. **"I remember Him saying, 'They'll be my most advanced creations. I want them to be different from the rest, to have not one, but endless emotions. I want them to feel** ** _everything_** **.'"**

 **"Your Dad could give Stephen King a run for his money with ideas like that."** Aziza commented with a smile, but Lucifer's head slightly tilted in confusion.

 **"Stephen King?"** He asked, wondering if the name belonged to a well-known Human.

 **"Oh, right."** Aziza shook her head, mentally face-palming.

Lucifer told her that he's been locked in the Cage for _centuries_. He didn't know about celebrities and iconic movies or award-winning books. Lucifer also didn't tell her that she helped Michael put him in the Cage because he did not want her to feel guilty. Even after all this time, he wasn't upset or spiteful towards her assistance in locking him away. He did not blame her. It was Michael's fault for instilling such fear into her. It was Michael's fault that she thought Lucifer would inflict ungodly harm her. And it was _Michael_ who was going to feel the wrath of _Lucifer's Bride_ when the time came.

 **"Stephen King is an author."** She explained. **"He's written some of the most iconic horror stories in history. He wrote** ** _The Shining_** **and** ** _Carrie_** **and** ** _Misery_** **and** ** _It_** **. Most of his work is made into movies."**

Lucifer nodded at his mate's enlightenment, thinking that he had some reading to catch up on. He still hasn't fully adjusted to the world and all the gadgets or technology the Humans created. His Demons gave him the basic rundown of things like laptops, cell phones and televisions, but he paid them no mind. He did want to learn more about this Stephen King because he always did like a good horror story.

The Fallen Archangel's relaxed demeanor suddenly flew out the window and into deep space. He couldn't look Aziza in the eye anymore, his gaze falling to his lap, because he felt embarrassed by what he was going to ask her. **"…will you watch some of the movies…with me?"**

 **"Sure. We can have Movie Night."** Lucifer looked up just in time to see Aziza smile at him, the sight efficiently calming his rioting nerves. There was no pity in her eyes and she didn't tease him for being so outdated. She'd done it again, shown him such kindness that he never felt like he deserved. He didn't know how he could repay her for being so nice to him, but he would find a way to return the gesture. **"So, what made God change his mind about how Humans should look?"**

Lucifer blinked in response, momentarily forgetting that he was telling her a story about God's little science project. **"Oh, that was Zeus' fault. He thought his meddling would go unnoticed."**

 **"The Greek God of Thunder is responsible for people not looking like monsters?"** She asked, seeking clarity, as she took another bite from her lemon cookie.

 **"Plato wrote all about it and he got a few things wrong, but I was there during the encounter."** Lucifer affirmed, nodding. **"In all actuality, Zeus is a cynical coward that tries to destroy or curse anything he's afraid of. When he saw the archetype for Humans for the first time, he thought they were Titans of some sort, the Gods before the Gods that had risen from the dead to kill him. Zeus proceeded to experiment on the early Humans, t** **ried to make them less frightening, weaker than himself."** He paused then, thinking. He could see how intrigued his mate was, but he was unsure if he should tell her of all the atrocious things Zeus had done to the early Humans, how he pulled their limbs off, removed a few organs, replaced their teeth with their toes, put their hands on their backsides, eyes in their noses. He knew Aziza was dovish in nature and did not like to witness anyone in pain or suffering, so he decided to skip over that tidbit. **"Humans weren't anything to fear, they had no divine power, but Zeus tried to make them weaker than they already were. Father was furious."**

 **"What did He do?"** Aziza asked and she was literally on the edge of her seat as if being closer to Lucifer during the climax of his story would have a greater effect on her.

 **"He was a solitary thought away from smiting Zeus. The only thing that stopped Him was the pagan's** **blubbering about being afraid of Father's creations, finally admitting that he was a spineless milksop. Father had mercy on Zeus and made the Human race less frightening in appearance. He made Zeus swear that he wouldn't tamper with His creations again and in return, the Humans would worship Zeus and all the pagans to make them stronger."**

Aziza had a reflective expression on her face as Lucifer's story ended. She honestly looked like she was analyzing every word he just said and Lucifer couldn't help but smile at her. He's told her this story time and time again in her past lives, but he would never tire of witnessing her reaction to the age-old tale.

 **"Even if he is a coward, I guess humanity should be giving Zeus some praise for making us pretty."** Aziza finally remarked with a small smile, almost as if she were admiring something. Lucifer noted that she still considered herself to be Human, just as she did all those decades ago. He did not believe that his mate was Human. If anything, he believed that Aziza was God's greatest creation, not these destructive Humans, and she had to be the most divine thing to ever come from Heaven. What that titled her as, Lucifer did not know. **"What was Plato wrong about?"**

 **"Plato believed that Zeus split Humans down the middle and condemned them to spend their lives searching for their severed half, their Soulmate."** Lucifer held his hands up, his palms pressed together as if he were about to start praying, then separated them to project his words. **"That's not true at all. There is only one, true Soulmate. She was constructed by Father and Heaven's most cherished Cupids."**

The whistling of the kettle from the kitchen made him remember the tea he had brewing. Standing, he asked Aziza, **"Can I get you some tea? I made it myself, just the way you taught me."**

She seemed confused by his words, mimicking his Archangel Tilt as she questioned, **"I taught you how to make tea?"**

 **"Yes…a long time ago."** Lucifer let out a quiet sigh through his nose due to his mate's missing memories. He had to do something about that.

Lucifer went to tend to the screaming kettle in the kitchen and filled the teapot from the set with hot tea. He poured two cups of tea and added sugar cubes with a tiny pitcher of milk to the serving tray before leaving the kitchen. He set the tray on the coffee table, took a seat next to Aziza on her sofa and hesitated for a second before grabbing one of the teacups with its saucer under it. He scolded himself when his hand began trembling, betraying his calm demeanor by displaying his nervousness, as he handed her the tea, hoping that he wouldn't spill the hot liquid on her.

 **"Are you alright?"** Aziza softly asked, taking the saucer from the Fallen Archangel. He went to grab his own teacup and she noticed that he was still quivering a bit. Lucifer even closed one hand over the other in an attempt to stop his trembling. **"You're shaking."**

 **"I'm sorry. I'm…nervous."** He admitted, not daring to look at her.

Aziza's free hand came to gently rest on his shoulder and Lucifer was sure that his heart had skyrocketed out of his chest. **"Why are you nervous?"** She asked him, genuine concern coating her words. Lucifer turned to her and simply gazed into her eyes, those beautiful azure gems he adored, with an almost helpless look. He wanted to tell her he loved her every time he looked into her eyes, wanted to express how he felt as if his home was wherever those gorgeous gems were. She didn't seem to understand his wordless response, but after a moment, realization washed over her. **"What,** ** _me_** **? I-I'm not- you shouldn't- you** ** _can't_** **be nervous because of me. You're a divine Archangel, the most beautiful being in all of Heaven's creation. I'm just a…well, a** ** _me_** **."**

Her hand slid from Lucifer's shoulder and he openly frowned at the thought of his mate detaching from him, so he took her hand in his. He turned to fully face her and he would've stoked her hair or cupped her cheek, but he didn't feel like he earned the privilege to do so. Instead, he tenderly squeezed her smaller hand in his, his eyes unknowingly resembling the calm waves of an ocean drenched in nighttime darkness.

 **"To me,** ** _you_ are** **the most beautiful thing in all of creation."** He avowed, honesty dripping from his words.

Lucifer watched with warm pride as Aziza's cheeks began to turn an adorable shade of salmon-pink, almost matching the shade of the tea in her cup. A small smile tugged at his lips as he simply watched his Soulmate, in all her beauty. She didn't change at all.

There was the small obstacle of her not remembering her past lives, of the time they spent together and the love they shared, but that was no fault of hers. Lucifer had his annoying and traitorous little brother to thank for that. Gabriel was infamously known for his tricks and pranks, but only his brothers knew of the fierce protectiveness he held when he was attached to something.

Lucifer remembered the winged horse, a Granian to be specific, that was Gabriel's pet when all four Archangels were still residing in Heaven. She was a swift and incredibly strong being with grandeur coursing through her veins.

As Michael gifted his brother with a Hydra, the same one that would later be slain by Hercules, Lucifer continued the tradition by presenting Gabriel with a pet for companionship as well as an aid in battle. Only Commanders of the Heavenly Host were ever seen with mighty animals at their sides and Lucifer spent months watching the mystical beasts to see which one would best suit Gabriel.

One day, Lucifer noticed a Granian filly, with a coat as white as cream and her mane platinum-blonde with flaxen strands, trotting through the heavenly pastures. At that age, most of the yearlings knew how to steadily walk and they were experimenting with their wings as they attempted flying. Lucifer watched as three more winged horses, a pair of them sepia Aethonans while the other was a wheat Abraxan, came into his sight and began galloping after the Granian.

The yearlings were all swift and could easily keep up with each other and the other horses just boxed the Granian in their formation…or so they thought. The Granian untucked her wings, their color a blend of whites and blues that gave her wings a crystalline appearance, and began flapping them. Lucifer didn't think that the Granian would be able to fly. She was still young, 3-years-old at most, and a majority of the winged horses didn't experience their first flight until they were at least 5-years-old. Even then, it was still a challenge to master.

Still, the Granian kept ambitiously flapping her wings and she was lifted a few inches off the ground every few moments, but had yet to take flight. With another series of determined flails, the white filly was suddenly hoisted into the air and flying backwards, over the other yearlings' heads.

The Granian neighed at her companions still on the grass in a manner that resembled laughter, but her flight wasn't perfect and she was constantly ascending or suddenly descending, jerking left and right as she struggled for balance. She stayed in the air for another few moments, then, like a meteor, she came hurdling down into the grass. It wasn't a far fall, but the Granian tumbled and landed on her chest, wings splayed and tail in the air.

The next day, Lucifer presented the white Granian to Gabriel and he named her Audrina. Gabriel trained Audrina to suit his fighting style to prepare her for a war against The Darkness, but he spent most of his free time riding and playing with the horse. He showed her off too, claiming she was the best Granian in Heaven, and he taught her amusing tricks that he showed his brothers. The winged horse even acted as a rescuer when one of Gabriel's pranks would have his brothers chasing after him for revenge. Audrina would appear out of the clouds to swoop in and save her master with Gabriel taunting his brothers as they rode off.

Lucifer fondly thought back on the memory and easily related Aziza to the Granian his litter brother was so attached to. Gabriel, as silly as he was, always wanted to keep something extraordinary to himself and he would protect it with his life from the evils of the universe or even from his brothers.

Aziza had her head down as Lucifer was reminiscing. She was thinking about what he said, how tenderly he said it and how he had such adoration in his eyes. She knew he was an Archangel and he's existed long before Humans were even thought of, so he's had to have witnessed things that were beyond marvelous, yet he dared to claim that she was the most beautiful thing he's ever laid eyes on.

Neither of them said a word for a moment and Lucifer was basking in the physical contact of his mate. He took hand holding for granted before he was put into the Cage because now, it seemed like such a marvelous thing. It wasn't highly intimate, but it still reeked of fondness and allowed him to be close to Aziza. He glanced at the saucer still in her hand, the tea cooling in the cup, and reluctantly removed his hand from hers. He decided to stay on the sofa with her in hopes that he would be able to reacquaint himself with being in his mate's presence. He didn't want to be a nervous, quivering mess every time he was close to her.

Aziza raised her teacup to her lips and got a whiff of the steeped leaves before the flavor filled her mouth. **"Is this Ginger Strawberry tea?"** She asked Lucifer with a smile, vaguely remembering the brew.

 **"It's your favorite."** He proudly responded, but his satisfaction was short-lived as second thoughts filled his head. **"It** ** _was_** **your favorite. If you don't like it anymore, I'll make you something else."**

 **"It's fine."** Aziza giggled, her hand resting atop Lucifer's to prevent him from running into the kitchen. She looked down at her cup as a burst of shyness erupted in her chest, but picked her head up to smile at the Fallen Archangel. **"It's really sweet that you remembered something so minor about me."**

Lucifer smiled back at her and wrapped his fingers around hers.

In his eyes, there was nothing minor about his valentine. Every detail about her, from the foods she liked and the flowers she swooned over, were branded into his mind like the names of the Prophets on the eyelids of an Angel. He could write a book about all the things his mate adored, but never would he be able to understand how or even why she ever felt love towards him. It seemed impossible, such a sweet and beautiful creature as she caring so dearly for him, Heaven's iconic rebel.

Hours passed with Lucifer and Aziza talking over their tea and treats until she began yawning. It was well past 1AM and time seemed to move too quickly for Lucifer's liking. He wanted to spend a lifetime with his valentine, never wanted to be away from her again, but she needed rest and he led her to the bedroom with an en suite to sleep, bidding her goodnight.

Lucifer waited in the living room and listened as Aziza took a shower before getting into bed. After another hour, he appeared in the bedroom. From the door, he silently watched Aziza as she slept so peacefully. If he could simply gaze at her for the rest of his existence, he would be in such tranquility, totally satisfied without the need for anything else.

A layer of his feathers were coating the mattress as a temporary nest and he noticed that a larger heap of them were on the pillow under Aziza's head. He wondered if she moved them there, knowing that she could see an Angel's wings, and found comfort in them. The thought alone made his heart jump, memories being triggered of when he'd wrap her in his wings with his arms holding her close to him. She'd always lovingly stroke his wings at the most spontaneous times and he adored that habit of hers.

He looked over his shoulder at his ruined wings and frowned a little. He'd never get to feel her stroking them again. He knew his valentine was not cruel or judgmental, but he highly doubted that she would like his wings now that they were damaged beyond repair. He tried to heal them when he was free of the Cage but his Grace was ineffective, as were the chanting of a Witch from the grandest of Covens or the touch of a so-called 'Miracle Healer.'

Lucifer silently walked to the edge of the bed and gently stroked Aziza's blonde hair, his touch light enough not to disrupt her slumber. His hand went higher until it rested on the top of her head and he shut his eyes as he concentrated. He was sending all of his memories to Aziza, of how much love they shared in her past lives. He wanted her to remember the things they did together, how she made him feel like the reason for his very creation was to love her.

Now that Aziza was with him, where she rightfully belonged, and away from anyone that would convince her that he was evil and vile, he could share his memories with her and feel her love once again after so many years without it.

* * *

This is the chapter I managed to save because I was planning on posting it soon, so it was in my docs on here. I'm still rewriting the rest of the story, but will hopefully finish the next chapter soon. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.


	29. Been Awhile, But I Still Feel the Same

Lucifer's been in a very good mood lately. With his nightly visits to Aziza to copy his memories into her mind, his mate has become increasingly more affectionate towards him. He was no longer nervous about talking to her and he was still working over the physical contact barrier, but he was accustomed to her hugging him and he'd even grab her hand to hold. The best part was that his mate would always smile at him and that encouraged him to do it often. He didn't notice it at first, but it seemed as though everytime his Soulmate touched him, she'd heal his deteriorating Vessel of scars.

As another gift to his mate, Lucifer raided his tombs and retrieved all of the spell books he found or wrote since he fell from grace to give to his mate. Aziza was so happy when she saw the piles and stacks of aged books filling the living room. Lucifer watched her flutter around the room, grabbing books and chattering a mile a minute about the creatures she could conjure or the many ways she could possibly help the Humans. She believed she could end World Hunger if she could find a spell that made clouds rain food. She referenced a movie called _Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs_ and Lucifer didn't understand what she meant by it, but he didn't pay much attention to it. He was too preoccupied with thinking.

In Aziza's first life, she seemed to understand that she was a divine being that had such omnipotence coursing through her that she could be quite the ally or a disastrous enemy to the almighty God. She knew that she could get whatever her heart desired with just a wave of her hand and spells weren't needed all the time. As time passed and she was revived time after time, he noticed that she seemed to lose that knowledge of her power, of her superiority.

Now, while he observed his mate so excited about the books, he wondered if she began losing her sense of divinity due to her time on Earth, with being around the Humans. She considered herself Human, though she was far from it, and he wondered if that sense of humanity, her growing benevolence, had changed her mindset. He didn't mind it because it made Aziza who she was and it was just one of the many reasons why he loved her so, but he's always been curious about just what it was that could have changed her from her first life.

Not too long ago, Lucifer reluctantly left Aziza for a few days to bind Death, one of the Four Horsemen, to him. He had to slaughter an entire town just to summon the Horseman and the binding process was going to be twice as harder than it should've been due to the Morning Start not inhabiting his true Vessel. He was expecting the Winchesters to pop up and be the infamous nuisances they were, but they didn't.

Castiel had appeared just as Death began to rise.

The Angel _demanded_ to know the whereabouts of Aziza and Lucifer truthfully, albeit sarcastically, replied that his Soulmate was where she belonged. He decided to play along and inquired where Sam was hiding, but only received cold, blue eyes in response. The Fallen Archangel advised Cas to run away while he still had legs, but the Angel was persistent and even went as far as drawing his Angel Blade.

Lucifer shook his head. Angels were so predictable. He extended his hand in Cas' direction and his eyes began glowing red as his Grace powered him. The pain came all too quickly for Castiel, his head feeling like it was being drilled into while a ruthless coldness chilled him to the core. He fell to his knees and as blood leaked from his ears or eyes, he began to hear voices.

Anna and Uriel's voices were berating him for his betrayal to his own kind, for slaying his brothers and sisters for the Winchesters. The Archangel Michael was calling him a rebel, saying that he was no better than Lucifer and would _never_ be allowed back in Heaven. Balthazar was screaming at him for letting him die without doing anything to help while Crowley was praising Cas' transgressions and offering the Angel a position in Hell as one of his minions. The worst torment came from Dean's voice.

Dean was calling him a freak, a liability and a monster that he would put down the second he even _looked like_ he was going to go Dark Side. His voice was saying that he was no family or friend of his, that he never trusted him, that he didn't care about their profound bond or that Cas almost died when he rescued him from Hell.

Cas couldn't take the anguish anymore and fell flat on the ground, helplessly trying to block out the intense voices while desperately trying to escape the bitter cold. His body was violently trembling and his howls of mercy were combined with cries of help, but the Winchesters would not come to his rescue. When he caught wind of Lucifer's plan, he forbid Sam and Dean from coming with him because it was too dangerous. They didn't know if Aziza bonded with her Soulmate, were unsure of how powerful the second Archangel was, and Castiel was not going to let Lucifer gain another valuable piece, which was his true Vessel.

Lucifer watched Castiel suffer and writhe, smirking at how easily an Angel could be rendered helpless. It's been a while since he used his Grace to torture anything, but he felt a tad more powerful than he remembered. He briefly wondered if his Soulmate was responsible, pondered if he was able to siphon some of her divinity just by being near her so often.

His attention went to Death when the Horseman finally rose. It was a tiring process for Lucifer to bind Death, but he managed to do so without completely depleting his Grace and with minimal damage to himself. It took much longer than he expected though. What he thought was a day or two was actually almost a week.

Lucifer was more than happy to return to his hotel room where his Soulmate was. It was nearing dawn when he returned and he expected Aziza to be asleep, but he was surprised to find her waiting up for him on the balcony. When he appeared behind her, it only took a second for Aziza to sense him and she was throwing her arms around him. He smiled into her hair as she tiredly told him that she missed him, but urged her to go to sleep and carried her to the bedroom.

Aziza didn't let him go when he set her in bed, so with a chuckle, he settled in next to her. Her head was on his chest and he stroked her hair, secretly using his Grace to lull her to her sleep.

For a few hours, Lucifer watched his Soulmate as she slept, admired her. He wondered what she was dreaming about, if she was in Zeallegon again or in one of his shared memories, but he didn't try to enter her dreams. He didn't need to anymore. He also didn't need to sleep, but after a lingering gaze to his Soulmate, almost ensuring that she was still there, he shut his eyes to pass the time.

Lucifer opened his eyes when he felt Aziza stirring. He purposely kept the curtains open just so the sunlight could give Aziza's hair that heavenly glow, just like it was doing now. He slid down in bed to be face to face with her and brushed a strand of hair away. He brushed his nose against hers a few times and hers scrunched before she softly giggled, then opened her eyes. Lucifer couldn't help but smile when he saw those dazzling azure eyes of hers sparkling in the sunlight. He missed watching her fall asleep and wake up, it was one of his secret pleasures.

The Fallen Archangel decided that he was going to spend the day with his Soulmate and he ordered his Demons not to disturb him unless they found Sam Winchester or if Michael was making a move. He 'made' his Soulmate a breakfast of what he recalled her favorite foods were and was relieved to see that she still enjoyed the dishes. While she took a shower, he commanded one of his Demons to retrieve another gift he had for her. When Aziza returned, dressed for the day, she raised a curious brow at a smiling Lucifer because he was obviously hiding something behind him. She asked him what he was up to and he stepped to the side, revealing the Šarplaninac dog behind him.

Lucifer smiled as Aziza squealed with joy and rushed over to the mountain dog, hugging and petting it. He was unsure if she knew that it was a Hellhound in disguise, his loyal Ramsey to be specific, but he hoped she wouldn't mind. Even though Death was now bound to him, there were still things Lucifer had to do to prepare for his fight with Michael. He knew his brother was relentlessly plotting and he would be ready when the day came. While he was away, he needed something to protect his Soulmate from Angels and his Demons were too stupid to be trusted, but Ramsey was a perfect guardian. She actually helped Lucifer find Aziza in the past when Michael would find her first and steal her away in an attempt to raise her to hate Lucifer.

Once Aziza was comfortable with Ramsey, Lucifer gave her a leash and said he wanted to show her something. They left their hotel and started their adventure by taking Ramsey for a walk. As Aziza began a game of fetch with the Hellhound, Lucifer discreetly transported them to Monemvasia, Greece. It wasn't until Ramsey was bringing the stick back to Aziza did she notice the change of scenery.

They were now on the top of a rocky hill and there was an ancient home on the land, an ocean surrounding them like a private island separate from the one they were already on. The residence looked as though the best Greek architects built the home for a wealthy family and Aziza couldn't help but feel like she knew this place.

Using his Grace, Lucifer quietly opened the wooden door and Aziza was lured inside, her eyes inquisitive and searching for something stable for her memories to cling onto. He watched her go through every room and saw how she was trying to find something to touch or stare at that would confirm the feeling of familiarity within the home. She probably didn't notice, but Lucifer observed how easily she wandered through the house as if she knew where everything was. It wasn't strange that she wouldn't remember this place as the home they made, but she would remember the decades they spent within it.

Aziza finally made her way to the garden in the backyard. There was a square fountain covered in wilted vines in the center, but all the flowers she and Lucifer planted so long ago were long gone. The blonde didn't stop to gaze at the dry fountain. Instead, she walked past it to continue following a circular stone path. When the trial ended, Aziza was standing before a bare plot of land and Lucifer stood beside her, sadly staring at what remained.

This was where Lucifer grew that epic Wisteria tree for his Soulmate, the one his brother made a copy of to insert into his handcrafted Heaven, but the only thing that remained was a jagged tree stump. It looked like someone snapped the tree in half out of anger.

Lucifer thought that their home would be crumbling after so many years of nobody inhabiting or taking care of it, but was elated to find it still standing. His happiness was short-lived when he discovered that their special tree was destroyed and a piece of his heart broke when he couldn't fix it, when his Grace did nothing to repair one of the greatest symbols of his shared love with his Soulmate. He suspected Michael was to blame for the tree's demise, but he couldn't be sure.

Lucifer felt the sadness Aziza discharged, not needing to look at her to know that she remembered that this was their special tree and she was sad to see it was no more. She lowered herself to the ground and sat on her knees close to what remained of the tree, her fingers tracing the stump. Lucifer sat crossed-legged next to her and remained silent as he watched her, glancing over his shoulder to find Ramsey with her back to them as she kept an eye on their surroundings.

Still detecting her gloomy emotions, Lucifer wanted nothing more than to wrap his wings around Aziza like he used to on the few accounts that she was dispirited or when she was sleeping. She even told him that his wings helped her sleep and she would stroke them until she drifted off.

With his damaged wings being avid displays of his own emotions, his left pair unfolded from behind him and flapped a few times. They stretched out behind Aziza and hovered with just a meter of space separating them from touching his Soulmate, almost asking permission to touch her. Lucifer wanted to wrap her in his wings like he used to, but back then, his wings were still presentable. The everlasting damage didn't start to take effect until after he spent so much time in Hell. It was as if what was left of his divine purity was seared away by hellfire and bloodshed.

 **"I wish we could go back."** Aziza suddenly spoke and Lucifer's wings nervously twitched, jerking back behind him. She looked over at him with appreciation in her eyes, but he noticed her low spirits. **"I remember the house and our tree. I even remembered the day we carved our names in the bark. But with it gone, I feel like I'm missing something."**

 **"I wouldn't want to go back."** Lucifer replied.

Aziza seemed intrigued by his answer and she scooted around until her back was on the stump for her to lean on it, waiting for him to explain. Lucifer stared at her for a moment before moving, setting his head on her lap with his hands layered over one another on his chest. His eyes fluttered shut and he sighed through his nose when he felt Aziza's fingers running through his hair. The way her fingernails gently scraped his scalp was enough to make him purr.

 **"Words can't describe how grateful I am to have been able to make those memories with you, but everything that happened after..."** He paused and Aziza looked down at him, slightly concerned. **"I would rather die than have to watch you be taken away from me so many times again."**

 **"I'm not leaving you, Luci."** She told him and it sounded like a promise, but the Fallen Archangel kept his eyes shut.

His words triggered an onslaught of memories he wished he could forget. His arguments with Michael, seeing Aziza so desperate to make them stop or worse, crying her heart out. Sometimes, she'd get so angry that she'd use her unstable power and create such vicious hurricanes or typhoons that would spit either brother into another hemisphere. Other times, she'd be trying to separate them, usually by pushing or pulling Michael away from his brother, but the eldest son would get so aggravated that he'd use his Grace to get her out of his way. Lucifer always thought that his big brother was too rough with things and it had to be due to him being the Prince of Warriors, but it was still a challenge for Michael to learn how to be delicate with anything. It took too many of Aziza's lives for him to have something close to a gentle touch.

Aziza leaned over, her hair falling like a curtain to veil both hers and Lucifer's faces. She kissed both of his closed eyes, then his cheeks and she felt him smile before she could peck him on the lips. Baby blue and azure crashed against one another as the divine beings gazed into each other's eyes. Her eyes drifted down to his lips and she was leaning in, only giving Lucifer a precious second to realize that she was going to kiss him.

Lucifer forced his excitedly hammering heart to settle down before he leaned up to meet Aziza halfway. A tingle ran down his spine that ruffled his feathers and made goosebumps rise on his skin when their lips brushed against each others, reacquainting after so long.

The pair exchanged what felt like billions of chaste kisses until something in Lucifer's gut seemed to get warmer and warmer. After their last kiss, he sat up and gently took Aziza's face in his hands. He stared at her, with her flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes, as her hands hung onto his wrists, before they resumed kissing, feeling her hands wandering from his neck to his chest. Her tongue glided against his lips in a gesture of permission to deepen their kiss and Lucifer felt that heat in his stomach grow hotter. He parted his lips and couldn't stop himself from groaning when her tongue eased its way into his mouth. He mimicked her actions and unknowingly pulled her closer to him, their chests connected as he gripped her sides.

Lucifer's Grace contently thrummed upon being so close to his Soulmate and he didn't know it, but Aziza was affected by it. Her entire body warmed and while she was being riled up by making out with her Fallen Archangel, it felt as if someone had flipped a switch and her horniness flew through the roof. The warm feeling was rising to an unbearable heat and she had to detach from Lucifer's lips to let out little pants.

Lucifer had to keep himself occupied and decided to divert his attention to his Soulmate's vulnerable neck. At first, he simply nuzzled against her flesh to bask in her scent, then he started kissing and nibbling at her exposed skin. He heard Aziza moan and his entire body reacted. His wings flared out behind him, ruffled and excitedly trembling in response to the sensations he was feeling. His wings were almost desperately trying to wrap around them both, but Lucifer was refusing to let them. He was still too insecure about letting Aziza see them. The next thing Lucifer felt was something different. It wasn't exactly a new feeling, but he hasn't experienced it enough to understand what was happening.

Aziza fisted her hands into Lucifer's shirt and pulled, making them gently fall on the grass. Her lips were back on his so quickly that he didn't have time to wonder if she saw his wings because they were still stretched out behind him. He was now focused on how much he liked the position he was in. He liked having Aziza under him because he could feel every inch of her without restriction. His hands couldn't keep to one spot, shifting from cradling her face to running along her sides, then gripping her hips; her hands were running through his hair or clutching at his arms. He wasn't expecting her to sling one leg around his waist and bring him flush against her.

Lucifer broke their kiss to let out a moan of his own at the new friction he felt. He didn't realize that he was grinding against Aziza, groaning and gasping against her neck at how pleasurable he felt.

This was the new sensation Lucifer only felt less than a handful of times with his Soulmate. He never told her when he'd be hit with the sensation because he was embarrassed by it, mainly by the engorged and highly noticeable bulge of his pants. He didn't know how to make it go away and he feared Aziza would be disgusted with him, so he would leave her to retreat to Hell. He'd torture anything he could get his hands on and one of those occurrences resulted in the creation of Azazel, the genesis of his Princes of Hell.

 **"Lucifer..."** Aziza seductively sighed his name and the Morning Star moaned again, but fought to find some control over himself. He willed his hips to cease their movements and his entire body was trembling with how much effort it took for Lucifer to keep himself restrained. With something that sounded like both a growl and a grunt, he pulled himself off her and stood, gripping the trunk of the tree.

Aziza sat up and her face was flushed a pretty shade of pink, her hair mussed. She watched Lucifer grip the tree beside him and wondered why he stopped. From what she remembered, they were perfectly fine with kissing each other and it was nothing new, but she thought about how long Lucifer's been locked away in the Cage. She wondered if he got too nervous or if he simply forgot how to proceed from where they left off.

Aziza stood and swiped the blades of grass from her hair. It was only when she looked at Lucifer again did she realize that a tree had grown where theirs used to be.

No, that wasn't it. _Their tree_ had regrown.

Lucifer was getting his breathing under control. His body temperature had returned to its usual coolness and when he looked down, he saw that his body was settled as well. His hand released its death-grip from the tree and he slowly turned to face Aziza, already embarrassed by whatever his body decided to do.

His head tilted to the side when he saw her eyes were glossed with tears, but they had to be happy ones because she was smiling. She wasn't looking at him though, so he followed her gaze upwards and was shocked to see that their tree was fully grown. The petals had just simultaneously bloomed and the elongated leaves fell from above, petals already fluttering through the air. Looking at the trunk, Lucifer found that their names were even carved into the bark.

 **"You fixed it."** Aziza said as she stepped closer to the tree, still overwhelmed with happiness, but Lucifer shook his head.

 **"I tried to before I brought you here, but nothing worked. I don't know how its back."** Lucifer ran his hand over the trunk, trying to understand how their tree could've been revived, but his thoughts drew a blank when his fingers touched Aziza's.

Under their palms, both Aziza and Lucifer felt the divinity within their special tree thriving. It felt like it was buzzing with happiness at being brought back to life and from being touched by the sources of its creation. They didn't see it, but their carved names began to glow; Lucifer's name white while Aziza's lavender. A piece of them both were embedded into the tree. Lucifer's Grace from when he initially created it and a bit of Aziza's divinity from when she initially touched it. It was almost like the tree was their child, having both their energies merged within it.

Lucifer grew this tree after he spent enough time with Aziza to know that he was hopelessly in love with her. They shared their first kiss in this very spot and he wanted to remember how special it was, so he grew her a tree. It was spontaneous and he didn't know what he wanted to grow her at first, but his Grace seemed to take control and pull something beautiful from his mind to act as a symbol of love. Perhaps it was their kiss that made their tree come back, the first kiss they shared since Lucifer was released serving as an imitation, or even an anniversary, of their very first kiss.

 **"We have to talk about that, you know."** Aziza told Lucifer with a tap on his hand, resting her hand on his. He looked at her, puzzled. **"You kinda freaked out when we were kissing. What happened?"**

Lucifer stared at their hands, unable to look at Aziza. He was embarrassed just thinking about what happened a moment ago and he wasn't sure if he'd be able to tell her how he felt. He was anxious about if she'd have a negative reaction too. He's never intentionally upset her and she hasn't spoken out on anything she didn't like about him, but he could only dread that this would be the one thing she couldn't stand about him.

He couldn't be alone again, not after all that time in the Cage. If there was one thing he feared, it was being alone. He couldn't stand being trapped with his thoughts and away from his Soulmate.

Lucifer sighed, knowing he had to get over this boundary if he wanted to get closer to his mate. He also had to swallow his inhibition and show her his wings because she was his Soulmate and he shouldn't be afraid to tell her anything. Aziza had to be the kindest and most accepting being he's ever known.

With some reassurance, Lucifer was about to open his mouth to address his wings first- the other issue was going to need a lot of time for him to struggle through trying to explain- when Ramsey let out a warning growl and his head snapped to where the disguised Hellhound was. She shifted into a lying down position, but she was staring at the man standing 5-feet away from her. It was a Demon, clad in a business suit, and he seemed to be smart enough to keep his distance lest he provoke Ramsey.

 **"This better be important."** Lucifer acknowledged the Demon, irritation weighing heavily in his tone.

 **"There's news, my King. Most importantly, the other three Horsemen have been freed."** He reported.

 **"Wonderful, go get a cookie for being such a good boy."** Lucifer waved the pestering Demon off. He never understood why his minions thought they should inform him of every, little detail. He knew the other Horsemen would be freed and they would give the Winchesters something to focus on for a while.

 **"There's something else."** The Demon spoke up before his King could turn his back.

 **"Past the point of caring, bud."** The Fallen Archangel snarked back.

 **"Lucifer."** Aziza tried to scold him, but she giggled. **"Be nice. He's trying to tell you something. It could be important."  
**

The Prince of Darkness sighed, throwing his head back and making Aziza laugh. For a second, something hidden in her mind was telling her that Lucifer was making her remember someone else, but she couldn't sift through the haze, so she left it alone. She picked his head up and kept a hand on his cheek as she kissed the other as an incentive for Lucifer to listen to whatever the Demon had to say. He waved his hand in the Demon's direction to let him know he could talk.

 **"Ramiel has been found. He's waiting for you in..."** The Demon glanced at Aziza, his Queen, knowing that Lucifer didn't want any of his Demons to talk about the Inferno until he brought her there. **"At home."**

That was something Lucifer needed to hear and he appreciated having Aziza here to make him listen. He dismissed the Demon, then asked Aziza if she'd like to stay here with their tree for a while longer or if she wanted to go back to the condo. He smiled when she lovingly stroked the trunk, giving him an answer without saying a word. He told her that he had to go and kissed her forehead like he usually did before he left her, but Aziza tipped up on her toes to give him a parting kiss on the lips that served to reawaken Lucifer's hunger for her. He reigned himself in before those heated sensations could get stronger and told Ramsey to protect his Queen while he was away. His loyal Hellhound posted herself next to Aziza as she admired their tree and Lucifer knew that it would take one of Heaven's garrisons to make the devilish canine stray from his mate.

Lucifer transported himself to Hell and walked the halls until he reached his throne room. He smirked when he saw one of his Demons had Crowley on a leash, the former King of the Crossroads dressed like a tourist rather than in his usual tailored suit. He pat the red-eyed Demon on the head as he passed, making Crowley flinch.

Lucifer draped himself across his throne, one leg bent while the other dangled across the armrest. Moments later, Ramiel was brought into the room, his eyes glowing yellow at seeing his Father after so many years.


	30. The Boy With the Broken Halo

Sam was in the basement at the cabin, sitting at the desk with one of Gabriel's handwritten books on the tabletop. He came down here just to be alone and he started off with his usual research on finding their missing blonde, but shut his laptop after a few hours of nothing new. He then turned to the sea of books at his disposal, but he stopped trying to read the pages hours ago and simply started between the lines of words. He hasn't been able to concentrate in what felt like ages, not with his missing girlfriend constantly on his mind alongside what the hell Lucifer could be doing to her at every given moment.

There was still no word on the whereabouts of Gabriel or Aziza. When they brought Castiel home, it was clear as the sky was blue that the Angel was traumatized and depressed. The boys could only imagine what the blue-eyed being has been put through since he was kidnapped, but judging by the new scars he had, it wasn't anything to be happy about.

Cas managed to report to Dean and Sam on what happened the night Aziza bailed. He was in his room, still unsettled by Dean's decision to leave, when Eben appeared at his window to inform him that Aziza was leaving the cabin. Cas managed to zap himself into her convertible before she was too far away and questioned where she was going. She told him that she didn't want anyone to die because of her, but more importantly, she didn't want to tear a family apart, so she had to leave for Sam and Dean's sake.

Neither of them noticed the van of Demons trailing behind them until they were abducted. He then went on to say that Balthazar was dead and that Crowley tortured him in front of Gabriel, but he was unsure if the third Archangel was still alive.

By this point, Castiel was silently weeping. He wasn't sad for himself, but for Balthazar and Gabriel. He felt regret bubbling deep inside him for getting his brother killed and then, Gabriel had to watch him be tortured after enduring Crowley's blade for who knows how long. Cas knew that, as an Archangel, Gabriel would be able to endure more pain than an entire garrison of Heaven's Angels would, but that did not mean he was immune to torture. Cas felt responsible for Gabriel being brought to the Asylum, that he probably went looking for his little brother or Aziza and was captured and possibly killed.

Dean, in that honey-warm tone usually saved for when Sam was hurt, told Castiel to take a breather after he told them what they needed to hear and guided his Angel upstairs to his room. He didn't come back down, so Sam assumed his brother spent the rest of the night comforting Cas.

Days later, still with not a single lead on Aziza, Castiel informed them that the Horsemen were rising and spreading chaos throughout the States. Dean and Cas decided to pursue Death first, since Lucifer personally freed that Horseman, and Sam didn't argue when it was wordlessly decided that he'd be sitting this one out. He wasn't complaining at all because that gave him more time to look for Aziza.

Sam lost track of how long he's been in the basement library. He was sure he's read through every handwritten book by Gabriel, but only his journal had any information on Aziza. Still, none of the information inside it helped him find her. Gabriel even noted his doubts about there being a spell that could locate Aziza, which is why he had to make her bracelet.

A pinging made Sam blink out of his thoughts. He looked at his phone on the desk, but the screen didn't light up, so he slid his book to the side and opened his idle laptop. After he typed in his password, he was greeted with the sound of gongs and the erotic moans from models of the _Busty Asian Beauties_ website. It was obvious who used his laptop last. He quickly closed the incognito tab and made a mental note to change his password _again_.

Sam recognized the chime as an email notification, so he went to his mailbox, but his account wasn't logged into. Dean's was. There was a blinking email with the paper-clip symbol next to it, waiting to be acknowledged, and the subject line was _Re: Find Me_.

Sam's brows knitted together. He was curious about what his brother's been up to in his spare time and even though he knew he was alone, he looked over his shoulder to see if anyone was coming down into the library, but he didn't see a shadow on the wall or hear footsteps on the stairs. Turning back to the laptop, Sam clicked the email and saw the initial message from Dean.

 **'If you're getting this, I'm cashing in all my favors.**

 **Attached to this email is a picture of a girl that I need to find ASAP. (I know she's gorgeous, but no, you can't date her) I'm certain that she'll have Demons watching her. They want her and I don't know why, but that's more than enough reason to get her away from them.**

 **Under no circumstances is anyone to try to do a solo rescue mission. DO NOT approach.**

 **If you see her, reply to this email, call or text me _(785)555-0128_ with a location.**

 **Any and all information is valued.**

 **Stay safe out there.'**

 **Attached: _MiamiBeach(7)_**

The picture was of Sam and Aziza at the beach after their Demon hunt in Miami. Dean cropped out his brother, but the photo originally was of the two of them with a handful of seashells to use as decorations for their sandcastle. Aziza just managed to smile before Dean took the picture, but Sam was totally clueless about what was happening.

Sam's heart ached after reading that. All this time, he suspected that Dean gave up on the search for Aziza. He never assumed that his brother no longer cared, but that there were other things to do that were more progressive, like dealing with the Horsemen or finding Gabriel. All this time, Dean was running his own little investigation to help find her.

Sam's eyes bulged when he saw how many Hunters replied to Dean's message. There had to be close to 600 responding emails with pictures of various blondes attached and where they were. Some of the females had the right hair-color, but their eyes were the wrong shade of blue while others were too tall or had tattoos. There was even a blonde who could almost pass as Aziza spotted sunbathing on a beach in St. Vincent. It looked like Dean went through each one and replied to everyone, thanking them for their help, but that whomever the Hunter spotted wasn't the girl he was looking for.

Sam was then drawn back to the newest email and his heart was slowing with each passing second. The chances of this Hunter spotting Aziza were slim to none, but something was giving Sam hope that this one would at least nudge them in the right direction. He desperately wanted some good luck to be on their side, just for once. He let out a shaken sigh, then clicked the email.

 **'Dean,**

 **Think I gotta lead on your missing girl, found her in Detriot.**

 **Was finishing up a Vetala case in Carbon Works when I saw her passing through Grand Circus Park. She didn't look hurt and I didn't spot any Demons but there was one guy with her. No weird eyes, looked like a civvy. Think there was a Hellhound around too...**

 **Anyway, I've worked a handful of cases with your Dad and every Demon I've come across has never sinned another day so I'm sure I can handle whatever black-eyed bugaboo comes my way.**

 **I'll be in the area for awhile (gonna try to lure that Hound outta hiding) so tell me if you want me to grab her or just keep eyes on her.**

 _ **(630)446-8851**_

 **-Chester Elam'**

Sam scrolled down to the attachments and clicked on the string of numbers the picture was titled as. A new window popped up and as the spinning circle in the middle portrayed the image was loading, Sam was growing more anxious. It was a shot in the dark that Chester managed to snap a picture of Aziza, but he was more so worried that the Hunter actually found her.

Dean told Sam about Zachariah's future and how the beginning of the end started in Detroit. Dean also, reluctantly, shared his experience in the alternative future where Aziza and Lucifer were taking over the world with their omnipotent son. Sam had his suspicion about the futures, thinking that Zachariah could've cooked both scenes up just to mess with Dean's head and get him to consent to Michael to get the upper hand on the impending Apocalypse. On the other hand, the Angel could've been telling the truth. The lack of trust and amount of suspicion was enough to make someone go insane trying to untangle potential facts from a smokescreen of lies.

Whenever he thought about planning something against Lucifer, the one thing Sam always thought about was how consent was needed. He and his brother were delaying the end of the world by refusing, but Sam felt like he had something of a plan for if he did. If Lucifer needed his consent to inhabit his body, he should be expelled from it if his Vessel revoked his consent, right? The same rules didn't apply to Demons because they had little rules to follow, but Angels and Archangels _had to_ have permission from their host.

Sam knew that Lucifer was a very powerful being, so he couldn't rely on sheer willpower. He'd need something to even the odds and that's when the thought of Demon Blood came into play. After his experience with it, Sam never wanted to touch the stuff again, but if he had to, for the greater good, he would. If he consumed enough of it, maybe Lucifer wouldn't be able to take control. Maybe the damned plasma plaguing Sam's body wouldn't be able to co-exist with an Archangel's Grace and Lucifer would be infected by it. If the Fallen Archangel wasn't sickened by the Demon Blood, Sam still had a fighting chance to force the Morning Star into submission with his enhanced abilities.

If Sam got the chance, he felt like he could consent to Lucifer's possession, then take control. At this point, with everything that's happened and Aziza being in such a precarious position, Sam was willing to jump at any one-on-one time with Lucifer. He had to protect her from him at any cost.

A flash on the screen made Sam refocus and his heart dropped into his gut when he saw the picture.

The first thing he saw was Lucifer in the same blue-eyed, blond-haired Vessel that he's had since his rising, but he was...smiling. It wasn't a sinister or demented one, but a genuinely content grin that seemed to become more beautiful as the seconds passed. The next thing Sam noticed was what was behind Lucifer and likely the source of his contentment.

It was Aziza.

She was smiling down at Lucifer, who had his head on her lap, and she seemed to be braiding flowers into his hair to make a crown. There was a mountain dog sitting at attention next to them with a mouthful of colorful flowers, but its face was a bit blurred. Chester did suggest that a Hellhound was around when he took the picture, so Sam decided that the dog was one in disguise. Lucifer wouldn't need an army of Demons body-guarding him, but it didn't seem wise to simply wander the Earth without some form of protection.

Sam stared at the picture for what felt like years, never blinking and analyzing every inch of the photo.

After all this time of worrying if she was truly dead or if Crowley managed to do something even worse to her, Sam finally had confirmation on his girlfriend.

Aziza was with Lucifer in Detriot.

Sam thought he'd feel an uncontrollable amount of jealousy upon seeing Aziza so comfortable and unharmed with Lucifer. He thought that once he knew for sure if they were together, his blood would boil and he would want to do anything to keep the Fallen Archangel away from Aziza, similarly to how he reacted when he first met Aziza and Dean would get too close.

But, he wasn't.

He wasn't angry at the sight and he couldn't find the nerve to be.

That just made everything worse because Sam knew he should be _infuriated_ knowing that Lucifer managed to put Aziza under some kind of spell to make her stand him, especially after what she told him about her dreams. The only feeling Sam felt while looking at the photo was an unwanted sense of assurance. He unknowingly trusted Lucifer to protect Aziza from absolutely any harm that could possibly befall her, somehow knew that the Fallen Archangel would protect her like Sam wanted to.

Sam blew out a sigh and ran his hands over his face. He was conflicted about what was going on with his emotions, but the one thing that was crystal clear to him was that he had to go rescue Aziza. He glanced at the time and saw that it was nearing 9 PM.

Dean and Castiel called to check-in not too long ago and Sam grabbed his phone, his thumb hovering over the phone symbol next to his brother's name, but hesitated. He knew that Dean and Cas were far away from Colorado and it would take them entirely too long to get back to the cabin or to Michigan. From Colorado, it was a day's drive away, but Sam, just like Dean, knew how to cut that time in half. He could go to Detroit, confront Lucifer, rescue Aziza and stop the Apocalypse in a matter of a few hours.

This was a once in a lifetime chance and Sam could not afford to let it slip away. He stuffed his phone in his pocket and pushed away from the desk, taking the stairs two at a time as he left the library.

Sam didn't bother going to his room to pack a bag and instead, grabbed the sole set of keys from the breakfast counter before leaving the cabin. Rounding the side of the house, Aziza's red convertible was parked in the shade of the cabin and the headlights flicked when Sam pushed the button on the transponder to pop the trunk. Lifting it, he unzipped the duffle bag and made sure it was stocked with hunting gear. His hand fell on his hip and he felt the grip of the Demon-Killing knife, so he nodded to himself and went to the driver's door.

Sam started his journey to Detriot, took all the shortcuts he could think of and he did not stop. He didn't take a bathroom break or ride through a drive-thru to get something to eat. He did stop for _exactly_ 2 minutes when he was in Lincoln, Nebraska, but that was only because the car was running on empty and he filled up a jerry-can with gas just so he wouldn't have to stop to find another station.

He made the rest of the drive to Detroit, but didn't go anywhere near the park where Chester snapped the picture of Aziza with Lucifer. He went to Carbon Works instead. If Lucifer was nearby, there were bound to be Demons inhabiting the city or being drawn to the area.

Sam casually drove around the dark streets for a few minutes and was keeping an eye out for any Demons. There were quite a few condemned houses for the fiends to hideout in and Sam struck gold when he spotted a guy carting about three boxes of alcohol down the street to a boarded-up house. Following on foot, Sam slipped into the house after the man and was sure he was a Demon after seeing the cultish symbols painted on the walls.

Sam made himself known and got the Demon to believe he wanted to consent to Lucifer's possession, only to turn the tables and capture the Demon. He strung the Demon upside down and collected a gallon of blood from its body, drinking it as what plasma was left dripped into another jug. Once finished, he wiped his mouth clean of blood and interrogated it on Lucifer's whereabouts. The fiend was half-dead due to the draining of its blood, so whatever it said was nothing more than mumbles to Sam's ears. He was about to put an end to the damned thing with Ruby's Knife, but he decided to see if his powers were up and running.

Like before, all Sam's focus went on killing the Demon and he could feel the tainted blood blazing his veins. When his outstretched hand balled into a fist, he heard a sickening crunch of bones and the Demon dropped to the ground, unmoving. He didn't bother cleaning up the body and went rummaging around the house for the ingredients to spell. If he couldn't find Lucifer, he was going to summon the Archangel himself.

Luck seemed to be on the Hunter's side tonight because it seemed like the Demon wanted to summon Lucifer as well. In the candlelit basement, there were more sigils painted on the walls in what Sam was sure had to be blood. There was an altar with a single, aged page sitting in the middle and Sam easily translated the Enochian verses. It was a spell to summon the second Archangel and all the ingredients were gathered. It was time to finish what he started.

 **SN*SN*SN**

The Impala hummed as it passed the welcome sign to Breckenridge, Colorado. Dean was characteristically behind the wheel with his phone to his ear while Castiel was riding shotgun and perusing the hordes of cassettes of rock music. Earlier on their trip, Dean commented that he wanted to make Cas a mixtape and let him pick all the music to get a feel for what the Angel fancied. He tried not to compare Cas' preference to Aziza's, but it was hard to since the Angel favored AC/DC and The Beatles. What he wouldn't do to get that sweet girl back home...

Dean sighed when the ringing stopped and Sam's voicemail message began to play. He hung up without leaving a message. **"Still not answering."** He informed Cas.

 **"Maybe he found a lead on Gabriel and decided to investigate."** Cas hopefully suggested and Dean wanted to shoot down that dream due to how improbable it was, but refrained. He knew Castiel just wanted his big brother to be in good hands and he refused to crush what little faith his Angel had left. They needed all the help and hope they could get right now.

 **"Sam's so smart, he probably did."** Dean agreed and he didn't look, but from the corner of his eye, he saw Castiel look up from the tapes in his lap to the driver. He could feel the assurance rising within the blue-eyed being and he couldn't help but smirk at it.

The drive to the cabin was quick and Dean was beginning to believe himself when he didn't see Aziza's red convertible parked beside the house. He knew Sam could get a little reckless at times and wouldn't tell his brother when he was making a move, but he had to wonder if Sam actually found out where Gabriel was.

As he and Cas entered the cabin, there was something in the air that made Dean skeptical of his brother's whereabouts. He's lost count of how many times he's called Sam to update him on the Horsemen and how their rings were the key to Lucifer's Cage. He was sure Sam would've come up with a plan on how to lure Lucifer out of hiding, probably offering to use himself as bait.

Still unsure of what his instincts were telling him, Dean headed straight for the basement. The library became Sam's regular spot since their meetup with Crowley and it almost became a replacement for Sam's room because Dean's found his little brother slouched on the desk with a blanket around him as he slept.

When he got into the basement, he went straight to the desk and saw the book next to Sam's opened laptop. The screen was black, so Dean hit the spacebar twice to wake the device up and quickly tapped in the password. He was expecting to see the _Busty Asian Beauties_ tab he left open, but the only window he saw was for his email inbox.

And there was an opened message from a Hunter named Chester who claimed to have information on Aziza.

Dean cursed at himself for leaving his email open because he was certain that Sam knew what was going on now. He was fed up with waiting for any news of Aziza to just fall from the sky, so he decided to get productive after he came home from Cheyenne and reached out to all the Hunters he could remember. He emailed those whose email addresses he had, called those he only had the numbers of and everyone he contacted promised to spread the word about his missing blonde.

Dean's private operation was supposed to stay under wraps until he had something solid to go on, but so far, there was nothing. He knew Sam wouldn't have gone out and searched for Aziza without concrete evidence that she was alive and well, so he quickly scanned the few lines of the email from Chester, then clicked the attached photo.

 **"Damn it, Sam!"** Dean growled and slammed his fist down on the desk. He quickly dialed Chester's number on his phone and was listening to the ringing as he jogged back upstairs, almost crashing into Castiel who was coming to investigate the noise. **"We gotta get to Detriot. Sam's- hey, Chester. It's Dean Winchester...yeah, that's the girl I was lookin' for. Listen, you remember my brother, right? Sam, tall as a skyscraper, brown hair, big puppy eyes...he's in Detriot and I'd really appreciate it if you could get eyes on him...alright, thanks. I'll be there as soon as I can."**

 **"Why is Sam in Detriot?"** Cas questioned the second Dean's conversation was over.

 **"I put out an APB on Aziza to all the Hunters I could get a hold of and Sam found an email from one that had a picture of her with Lucifer. Sam ran off to Detroit and I know he's gonna do something stupid to try and get her home."** Dean let out an irritated sigh and rubbed a hand over his eyes. Sam was a goddamn genius, but he made the dumbest decisions sometimes. He knew his brother's emotions had to take over when he got the news, but Sam should've taken a second to _think_ before acting.

 **"Dean, if Lucifer gets Sam's consent-"** Castiel began, but Dean's hand fell from his face to reveal his piercing, emerald eyes hardened with sternness. Cas knew that was a silent warning not to finish his thought, but he had to. He had to make sure Dean knew the severity of the situation Sam placed himself in and how it affected everything. **"You were in that future, Dean. Lucifer said everything started in Detriot. He already has Aziza and there's no doubt in my mind that he'll use her to get to Sam. You have to think about what may have to be done to ensure the safety of the entire world."**

Dean turned his back on Castiel, unwanting to believe the truth spilling from his Angel's lips. He wanted to hate Cas for always being so honest, but Dean admired it. He cursed at Sam under his breath for making such a stupid decision without telling anyone and he damned Lucifer to the hottest crevice of Hell being such a drama queen.

So Lucifer had a falling out with Daddy, big deal. Dean couldn't count how many times he's gotten on John's bad side, but he never pitched a fit about it. He bit his tongue, swallowed his pride and kept pushing because that's how life works. That's how a _family_ functions.

Dean turned again and was ready to make a beeline for the door when he glanced at Castiel. His brows knitted together when he saw the trickle of blood streaming from the Angel's nose. **"Cas, you're bleeding."**

Castiel seemed just as confused by Dean's words, but raised a hand to his nose and saw that his fingers were stained with blood. Before he could question why his Vessel was leaking plasma without sustaining any injury, a shrill ringing filled his head and he groaned at the amplified sound.

Dean rushed over and caught Cas before he fell to the ground, his hands pressed into his ears like he was trying to block out a noise. Cas could not hear Dean asking him what was wrong or what was happening, the noise, the sudden panic of his kind, was deafening.

 **"The Angels...they're all _screaming_."** Cas managed to say through the intense throbbing of his head. For a moment, he honestly feared that his skull would explode and he wished there was a way for him to turn off Angel Radio at a time like this. Just as spontaneously as it came, the upheaval was silenced and Castiel would've collapsed in relieve had Dean not been supporting him.

 **"Cas, what the hell just happened?"** Dean questioned. He looked up at the Hunter with pity in his eyes, not wanting to break this news to him. He knew that trying to act like nothing just happened wouldn't work, so he decided not to stall.

 **"Michael still hasn't gained the consent of his true Vessel...but Lucifer has."** Castiel somberly informed Dean and watched the man pale before his eyes. **"The Apocalypse, it's starting."**


	31. Make My Peace on the Edge of a Knife

Lucifer wondered if he was dreaming. He knew that, as a celestial being, he didn't require sleep and therefore couldn't dream, but he imagined that this was how Humans felt when they said that. He didn't feel like he was truly existing at the moment because things were going too well, he was beginning to feel happiness and that had to come at a price.

He still couldn't believe how lucky he was when he found Aziza. Had he ignored Michael's descent from Heaven, he wouldn't have her in his custody now and she wouldn't remember her feelings for him. Since then, he felt as though her feelings grew stronger with each passing day and he cherished being in her company.

And now, he was wearing Sam Winchester's skin.

The Fallen Archangel was summoned to an abandoned house by the younger Winchester and it was certainly a surprise. Things became even more interesting when Sam declared that he was ready to consent to Lucifer's possession. Knowing the Winchesters and the games they played, Lucifer knew better than to accept things as they were. He was expecting Dean and Castiel, maybe even Gabriel, to pop out of the shadows with a vase of Holy Oil at their disposal. They would've probably tried to put Lucifer back in the Cage or attempt to kill him, but Lucifer knew that either option would not be successful. He was certain that the Winchesters had no idea as to the value of the Four Horsemen's rings, how they acted as keys to his Cage, and to obtain them was another headache.

But Sam went and said that he came here alone and that he was ready to finish everything. When Lucifer still didn't give in, Sam had gone and started chanting, _"I consent"_ and that was like waving a fresh-caught fish in front of a cat. The temptation was too much to resist, so Lucifer decided to give in.

Through Sam's hazel-green eyes, he was staring down at his former Vessel. Nick's eyes were completely burned out and the scars Aziza healed earlier that day were back, but more prominent and bloodshot. Lucifer couldn't help the smirk that tugged at his lips due to his thoughts. He had the consent of his true Vessel and he was going to go home to Aziza. He knew she'd be attracted to Sam's body, but he wondered if she's grown attached to Nick's skin. Regardless, he would be more confident about himself and with his actions or words around her due to him being in the correct Vessel...maybe even confident enough to bond with her.

With a wave of his hand over Nick's body, Lucifer had the corpse transported to Hell for safe keeping. One could never be too cautious when a Winchester was involved. Lucifer then transported himself outside of the empty house and proceeded to set it ablaze. As he watched his hellfire consume the place, the flames dancing before his gleaming red eyes, he immediately felt the difference from being in Nick's body. While he was still inhabiting Nick, every time he used his Grace, he could feel it depleting and he'd even be a bit weary until he could rest and recharge, but that draining feeling hasn't made itself known yet.

All Lucifer felt was a renewed vigor coursing through him, like his Grace was haughtily roaring inside him. At that moment, he felt like he could take on _God,_ that he was King of the Cosmos. Maybe it was just the excitement going to his head, but he liked the feeling and he didn't want to forget what it felt like.

Lucifer was still smirking at the burning home when he began to feel something in his head. He ignored it at first, but it intensified enough to keep his attention. It felt like something small, yet tenacious, was scraping at his skull and he sighed, realizing what the source was.

 **"Sam, come on. I can feel you scratching away in there. Cut it out."** Lucifer warned the tall Hunter, knowing the Human could hear him. Sam was supposed to be dormant in his own head while Lucifer was in control, but the man had more fight in him than most Humans did. He was about to admire his housefire again, but the scratching persisted and he rolled his eyes. **"Alright, if you won't settle down, I'm comin' in there."**

In an instant, Lucifer was inside Sam's head like he said. Everything around them was a dark, expansive emptiness. The only two things in contrast to the seemingly everlasting darkness were Lucifer, in the semblance of Nick's skin, and a very agitated Sam Winchester. Sam looked like he wanted to rush over and strangle Lucifer, but he couldn't move or speak. Lucifer casually sauntered closer to the immobile Hunter and tried not to smile at the fury he saw burning in Sam's eyes.

 **"You got me all wrong here, kiddo. I'm not the bad guy here."** He honestly told Sam, but the Hunter's expression did not change. **"Look, I'll take the gags off, okay?"**

With a snap of his fingers, Lucifer granted Sam the ability to speak again and allowed him to move. As Sam stomped over to Lucifer with murder in his eyes, the first threat that soared from the brunet's lips was, **"I'm gonna rip you apart from the inside out!"**

 **"By scratching around like a hungry little mouse? Might take a while, walls are pretty thick."** Lucifer teased, easily ducking Sam's first punch. **"Sam, can we be adults for two seconds?"** Lucifer tried, but Sam's response was an irritated growl as he charged for the Fallen Archangel again. Lucifer sighed, **"Or you can keep throwing a tantrum, that's fine too."**

 **"You're one to talk!"** Sam spat back, becoming more and more irritated as Lucifer effortlessly dodged his punches. He thought the Demon Blood would give him a better fighting chance, but it seemed useless.

After another few moments of Sam trying and failing to hurt Lucifer, the divine being decided to put an end to things. **"Alright,** ** _obviously_** **, I've been too nice. Back in the timeout chair."**

Lucifer simply extended his arm and Sam was forced about a foot through the air before stopping as if he'd be caught by an invisible baseball mitt. He was struggling to break free from the unseen bear hug he felt like he was encased in as Lucifer looked up at him, snickering at his flailing. **"This is all a big joke to you, huh!?"**

 **"I can't help it. You're so helpless, it's adorable."** Lucifer chuckled before sighing, all the humor he had towards the situation fading. **"Seriously, Sam. I've been waiting for you for a long, long time. You have to admit – you can feel it, right?**

 **"Feel what?"**

 **"This...** ** _sense_** **. It feels like something deep inside finally clicked. And you know why that is? Because we're two halves made whole."** Lucifer gestured between himself and a restrained Sam. The brunet calmed down enough that he wasn't fighting to be free anymore. **"M.F.E.O. Literally."**

Sam scowled at Lucifer's words. He would never admit that he and the Fallen Archangel were anything like because they weren't; they had _nothing_ in common. **"This feels pretty damn far from good."**

 **"That might have something to do with the gallon and a half of Demon juice you sucked down. Not the best of choices, Sammy."** Lucifer tutted, noticing how Sam looked a bit shocked. Of course, he knew that his true Vessel consumed Demon Blood. It was one of the reasons why he didn't immediately accept Sam's consent. He was pondering if the Demon Blood would interfere with him inhabiting Sam's body because if it did, Sam would have to be cleansed of it. **"I'm inside your grapefruit, Sam. I see it all: how odd you always felt, how out of place in that** ** _'family'_** **of yours. And why shouldn't you have? They were foster care, at best. I'm your real family."**

 **"That's not true."** Sam denied with a stern shake of his head.

Lucifer was undeterred as he continued, **"All those times you ran away, you weren't running from them. You were running to me, to what you've always wanted."**

Sam glared down at Lucifer and his cockiness, his audacity. **"And** ** _you_** **know what I want?"**

 **"Something to make you feel normal."** Was Lucifer's smooth answer. His words rang such truth that Sam remained silent as he regrettably agreed with the statement. He did want to feel normal. For as long as he could remember, all Sam's wanted was to feel like he wasn't a freak, that he was good. **"You've always wanted something that makes you feel like you aren't a freak, something to accept and love every dark, shattered piece of you. And guess what? You found her."**

For a split second, Sam lost all his anger and rage at being outmatched by the Fallen Archangel to think about Aziza. She made him feel like he was something good for the world, that going on hunts with Dean and saving people was making the world a safer place. She made him feel like he was a better man because she loved him, the good and bad parts, because she stuck around when things got hard. She took in himself, his brother and their Angel, a trio of broken soldiers, and gave them a warm place to call home along with all the love and care they could ask for. Aziza gave them a slice of the domestic life Sam's always wanted and Dean secretly yearned for.

All those warm and fuzzy feelings that Aziza made Sam feel died away as he remembered that she was not safe, that she was kidnapped by the very being standing before him.

 **"What did you do to her?"** Sam demanded and Lucifer looked at the man like he was insane.

 **"Nothing."** He said, and Sam scoffed, clearly not believing his words. Lucifer narrowed his eyes, but his tone wasn't gruff or foreboding when he spoke. **"I** ** _missed her_** **, Sam. Being in the Cage for so long without her was unbearable."**

 **"You just wanna use her to end the world."**

 **"And who told you that,** ** _Michael_** **?"** Lucifer accused through a hiss. He brought Sam down closer to him so that they were eye to eye, wanting the Hunter to feel how serious he was. He knew that Sam and Dean had their doubts as to Lucifer's claim of loving Aziza, but he felt like Sam, of anyone, should know his feelings were true. **"I have loved her longer than this wretched planet's existed. I have spent** ** _lifetimes_** **with her. She was made** ** _for me_** **. The only thing I want from** ** _my Soulmate_** **is for her to be protected and happy, just like you."**

 **"You don't know what I want."** Sam growled.

 **"** ** _I_** **don't know what you want?"** Lucifer repeated, aghast. **"Where do you think those feelings came from, Sammy? When you first met her- and think real hard about this- you probably wanted to kill big brother a few times, didn't you? You hated how close he got to her, wanted to tear his throat out whenever he touched her, right?"** Sam remained quiet, but his silence only proved to Lucifer that he was correct with his assumption. **"Newsflash, big boy: that was history repeating itself. Everything you've ever felt towards Aziza was nothing more than a cheap imitation of** ** _my_** **feelings and all the crap I went through with Michael.** ** _That's_** **why you came to Detroit and consented."**

 **"I came to Detriot to save her from** ** _you!"_** Sam snapped back, but Lucifer didn't even blink in surprise at the sudden outburst. **"I drank Demon Blood because I thought I could kill you to** ** _protect her!_** **Everything I've done up to this point was for** ** _her,_** **to get her back home, because** ** _I need her_** **! Since she's been gone, I just-"**

Sam cut himself off and hung his head as he hopelessly tried to keep the lump in his throat from exploding. Hot tears had filled his eyes when he was yelling and they were gliding down his cheeks as he silently wept. He missed Aziza more than anything in the world and not having her close to him constantly broke his heart because he sincerely felt like he needed Aziza. He loved her and she made him happier than he's been most of his life, but he didn't feel like he could live with himself if she was gone forever. Without her, all he felt was emptiness, sadness or irritation and that was no way to function.

Sam's been a goddamn wreck since Aziza went missing. He literally could've worried himself to death more than once and he was honestly surprised that he made it as long as he did without her. In the beginning, he just felt like crying all the time. He felt responsible for Aziza running away and for everything that's happened to her since she ran into him and his brother.

Sam always thought that if he wouldn't have pursued Aziza, if he'd have bitten his tongue and heeded Gabriel's words, she would've been much better off, the third Archangel too. Gabriel was doing a damn good job at keeping Aziza's existence under wraps and she wasn't dying or being kidnapped while she was with him. Sam just had to come along and ruin her life...just like he ruined Jessica's.

 **"Would you just accept it, Sam?"** Lucifer's gentle voice almost lullingly sang to Sam, but the Hunter did not pick up his head. He kept his eyes shut as tight as he could and was biting his cheek to get his emotions under wraps. He couldn't afford to look so weak right now, not in front of the goddamn Devil. **"Your love for her led you to me. Deep down, you knew that you had to consent to me, eventually, for her."**

 **"Go to Hell!"** Sam barked at the Fallen Archangel and Lucifer shook his head, disappointed by the Human's reaction.

 **"Been there, done that. Gimme something new."** He snarked before sighing and running his hands over his face. With a quiet groan of frustration and one hand on his hip, Lucifer proposed, **"Look, I want you to be comfortable, maybe even happy if you allow it. I've got everything planned out to give you a life you've always wanted. Just let me show you."**

Sam didn't say anything, but Lucifer wasn't seeking permission anyway. He snapped his fingers and suddenly, the emptiness of his mind was filled with colors and objects.

Sam looked around and saw that he was in a small neighborhood, standing before a white picket fence that led to a snug, blue Laneway house. He could hear the faint sound of someone peacefully humming and he looked over the fence, spotting someone kneeling in the trimmed grass of the lawn. He couldn't see their face due to the sunhat they wore, but the person seemed to be tending to the beds of flowers that wrapped around the house.

A sudden barking made Sam look to the side of the house and he saw a golden retriever covered in bubbles running to the front lawn. Chasing after the dog was none other than Dean and his blue shirt was damp, some bubbles coating his own arms.

 **"Damn it, Bones! Heel, you mangy fleabag!"** Dean commands, but Bones didn't stop running around the lawn.

Bones made Dean chase him back and forth across the lawn a few times before he stopped. He faced the eldest Winchester brother and his tail was wagging as if he thought the whole thing was a game. Dean was slightly hunched over as he slowly approached a seemingly tired out Bones, but as soon as he went to grab the dog, Bones dashed through his legs and managed to make Dean fall. He gave his coat a shake before going over sit next to the person in the sunhat.

 **"** ** _I'm_** **the one who took you outta that box on the street and** ** _this_** **is how you thank me?"** Dean accused the dog as he got up and brushed the dirt off his jeans. He tugged a towel from his back pocket and slowly approached Bones until he was certain that the dog wouldn't start running again. He began towel-drying the golden dog and he was talking with the person in the sunhat, but Sam couldn't hear what they were saying. Dean glanced up and noticed Sam at the gate, making him smile. **"Hey, look who's home early."**

The person in the sunhat looked up from the flowers and Sam could've sworn he just figured out where sunshine came from. Aziza was smiling at him as she got up and brushed off her overalls, going towards him. Her eyes were sparkling like stars and she had a glow to her that could only be described as ethereal. She was in her rare adult-form and her creamy-blonde hair was cascading in waves behind her shoulders.

Sam was so struck with awe that he didn't realize Aziza moved until he felt her hug him, then give him a kiss on the cheek. Bones came to Sam's feet and he bent down to pet the dog, almost unbelieving he was there. After a few ear scratches, Bones grabbed the suitcase from Sam's other hand and begins carrying it to the house, but Sam looks down at himself. He just noticed that he's dressed in a black suit and it wasn't one from off the rack. His clothes were tailored to fit his long frame perfectly.

 **"You ready for this weekend, Sammy?"** Dean asks with a smile.

 **"This weekend?"** Sam echoed, uncertain.

 **"C'mon, Sam. The Cowboys are playing the Superbowl, this is huge."** Dean reminded. **"We're gonna get the grills going and drink beers for the next two days. And, bonus points, Aziza invited her brother's cute friend."**

 **"Who you won't be able to talk to because Gabe won't allow it."** Aziza chimed in.

Dean rolled his eyes at her statement. **"Gabriel is not Castiel's goddamn father, he can't forbid him from dating."**

 **"Try telling Gabriel that."** Both Sam and Aziza said. The pair looked at each other and Aziza sweetly smiled at Sam while he was beginning to get lost in admiring her again.

 **"You two have been married for three years and you still manage to have these chick flick, barf-fest moments."** Dean groused, but the happiness in his eyes as he looked between his brother and Aziza was impossible to ignore.

Sam couldn't remember the last time he saw his brother so happy and Dean looked younger too. He didn't have any bags under his eyes and they weren't holding that everlasting tiredness that they used to. Sam noticed some grays in Dean's hair, likely from the stress of his life, but there wasn't a single gray whisker to be found. Dean just seemed...happier.

Aziza told the boys to come inside so they could get something to eat and Dean was already coming up with a plan to distract Gabriel long enough for him to completely seduce Castiel when they came to visit tomorrow. Sam couldn't help but smile at them and he went to follow, but his legs wouldn't move. Dean and Aziza seemed to have frozen in place, just like the rest of the world.

 **"Here's my offer,"** A voice spoke from behind Sam and he turned to it. There, leaning on the fence, was Lucifer and the Fallen Archangel was a blunt reminder to Sam that what he was seeing was far from real. He remembered that he drove to Detriot to consent to Lucifer's possession and that he wasn't strong enough, even with the Demon Blood he drank, to overpower him. **"You stay nice and quiet in this little world I made for you and in turn, I'll spare Dean. Not only that, but I'll bring Mommy and Daddy back and let the three of them live happily ever after in their own slice of Heaven while you live in yours."**

Dean could be happy again, just like he, John and Mary were before Sam was born. And he wouldn't have to consent to Michael's possession. Mary would be alive, John wouldn't force Dean into the Hunting life and his brother could do what he wanted for a change. They could be a happy family again and that's what Sam wanted. He just wanted Dean to be happy and safe, no matter the cost. He wanted his mother back because she didn't deserve to die, especially not in the horrific way that she did. She should've lived a long and happy life with her husband and son.

Sam looked behind him at Dean and Aziza, still frozen like characters in a paused movie. **"What about her?"** He questioned Lucifer and turned to face him again. **"Will she be safe?"**

 **"Sam, believe me when I say that I would cover myself in Holy Oil and fly into the Sun before I ever harmed her."** Lucifer earnestly declared. He would rather have his Grace sucked out of him than to make Aziza feel pain. She meant entirely too much to him and to hurt her would be his breaking point. **"Michael is who you need to be worried about.** ** _I_** **was worried all that time before I found her thinking he had her already."**

Sam's brows furrowed at that. **"What could Michael do with her that's worse than your plan?"**

 **"Michael cares less about this planet and the Humans than I do. I was gonna let some of you live, but if he gets his hands on her? Total annihilation of the Human race, Earth goes boom, this solar system** _ **poof**_ **."** Lucifer elucidated. While he wasn't totally sure what Michael would do if he got his hands on his Soulmate again, Lucifer was pretty sure that not even she would be able to convince him not to kill his brother again. Michael would definitely go overboard just to ensure Lucifer was gone for good too and that would result in the end of the Earth and all its species. Lucifer shook his head at the unnecessary destruction. **"He probably thinks he can just replace everything, but he doesn't have a** _ **speck**_ **of creativity in his body."**

 **"How can I trust you?"** Sam doubted and that just made Lucifer throw his head back to groan.

 **"Sam, you're the smart one. Do you really think those futures Dean saw were the real deal or would it make more sense for Michael to have tampered with them to scare your brother into playing his part?"** Sam blinked at Lucifer's words. He remembered when Dean came home and told him of the futures Zachariah showed him. He remembered doubting how authentic they were and that it'd make more sense for Zachariah or even Michael to have tampered with them as a scare tactic. As if he read Sam's mind, Lucifer began to explain, **"I've peeked at some futures myself and the ones your brother saw were** ** _really_** **exaggerated. For instance, that one with Aziza going full-on homicidal, the one with our son, Amzi? That was just insulting her. And the one where I killed her?"** Lucifer scoffed at how ridiculous the scene sounded. **"You think I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between** ** _my Soulmate_** **and my baby brother? Come on."**

Lucifer would've laughed at the downright absurdity of the 'futures' he saw. He had faith that Sam was smart enough to realize that Michael was trying to break Dean by showing him such disastrous, but false scenarios. Michael knew that Lucifer would _never_ harm Aziza, but for him to cook up such a scene was beyond disrespectful. He had to give his brother credit for Amzi though. He could never imagine how beautiful his and Aziza's children would be, but Michael hit the nail on the head with his fake nephew and his personality was spot on as well. Lucifer knew that he'd make his first son into a great warrior and, depending on how fast his growth was, he would take the Earth with his son beside him.

All Lucifer truly wanted was to be happy with his Soulmate and now that he had Sam's consent, he had the upper hand on Michael. He was stronger than his brother and while he sincerely did not want to kill Michael, he would not refrain from doing so if his brother tried to take Aziza away from him again.

 **"You swear to me that you won't hurt my brother and that you'll bring my parents back, that they'll all be safe from whatever happens between you and Michael."** Sam demanded andLucifer nodded, used his finger to cross his heart, but the Hunter's eyes narrowed at the gesture. **"Swear on Aziza."** He further ordered and that made Lucifer's brow twitch in delighted surprise.

Sam knew how epically foolish it was to make a deal with the Devil, but something inside of him was telling him that Lucifer would be true to his word. Maybe it they did have some kind of deeper connection due to him being the Fallen Archangel's true Vessel. Either way, Sam refused to let a golden opportunity like this slip through his fingers. He couldn't remember the last time he saw Dean look so happy. He's wanted to make his brother happy all his life and he knew he did, but not on this level. Dean looked like he was elated living the life he had, which probably consisted of a 9-to-5 job and spending every weekend with his family, maybe taking Sam fishing every once in a while in the Summer. That sounded like a picture-perfect life for Dean, a life without sleeping with one eye open or being worried that something lurking in the dark was going to kill him or that his little brother was in danger.

Sam had to get this redemption. He felt like he caused way too many problems for Dean just because he was born and here was a chance to erase all of that. He and his brother have been protecting the world for most of their lives without receiving anything in return. They've been traumatized by monsters, tortured and have _died_ because they were Hunters, only to receive more problems and pain in return. Sam was giving them a break for once, because they deserved it. _Dean_ deserved a goddamn break.

The Hunter definitely knew how to play hardball, but he also had to know that an Archangel, or even any divine being, swearing didn't exactly mean anything. It was no different than a Human giving someone their word. Still, Sam knew how much Lucifer regarded Aziza and that she was something he did not take for granted. If someone wanted something from the Fallen Archangel, going through her, in the right way, was how to get it.

 **"I swear, on my Soulmate, that I won't hurt Dean and that I'll keep my promise of bringing your parents back."** Lucifer vowed and even raised his hand to add emphasis to his promise. **"You gonna play nice now?"**

Sam remained silent, expecting Lucifer to turn his head into his worse nightmare or simply put the gags back on so he couldn't do anything, but nothing heinous happened; Lucifer's eyes did not turn that terrifying shade of burning scarlet. The Fallen Archangel seemed to be waiting for assurance from the Hunter, but the brunet would not give it. He turned his back on Lucifer, to the cozy house, and as soon as he took a step towards his frozen family, everything came back to life. Aziza and Dean continued walking inside, chattering about how long they could keep Gabriel distracted, and Bones was sitting at the door waiting for his Humans to enter their home.

Sam took one last glance behind himself and he was expecting to see Lucifer with a victorious grin on his face, but no one was there. He heard Dean call him from inside and he followed the sound, being coated in head to toe in domestic warmth the second he stepped inside the house...his house.


End file.
